Hi,

After the sport trauma I periodically have severe pain attacks (they started as lower back pain, now the pain goes to the neck and legs). The surgeon I had been consulted by, said, he did not see any problems and suggested taking painkillers while the attacks.

At the same moment, I had the MRI pictures from the hospital. And the hospital doctors' conclusion says "disc desiccation and annular tear".

As my pain attacks continued I decided to get a relief from the conservative therapy and visited a physio therapist. She is sure that "there is obvious disc herniation" on the image (please see it attached). Well, I am taking massage&acupuncture now, but things go worse..

And, this summer, I was spending time in a different country and also underwent an MRI exam there. The written conclusion of their specialists' is: "degenerated discs (L4-L5, L-5-S1), discs protrusions are obsereved".

By this moment, I have four different opinions and this is confusing me.

The question is: who is rights? The surgeon, who does not see anything but prescribes painkillers (well, it looks like he understands I need something from pain but does not see it's cause); hospital doctors who see "disc desiccation and annular tear"; my physio therapist, who sees "obvious disc herniation"; or abroad specialists confirmed "degenerated discs and discs protrusions".

Please see the MRI image attached. Thank you guys for your opinions..

P.S.: Sorry, I have no idea how to post my image other way, so I put this kind. Hope, this does not against the rules..

*edit*
how to attach images -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fa...b3_attachments

The written MRI report might be easier for us to help with, as the images are usually so small and hard to see what they are showing..
Unless you know which image shows the suspected areas clearly.

Welcome Girl_With_Balloon.

Thanks Kitt.

Hi
you may attach the image of the MRI by downloading it from your computer...Jo*mar left you a link to the info on how to attach images in posts

Thanks. Tried to do this... Hope to get some advice.

Attached Images

	printout_1.jpg (149.9 KB, 4014 views)
	spine_chord_new_1.jpg (100.5 KB, 4009 views)
	spine_chord_new_2.jpg (116.8 KB, 4028 views)
	spine_chord_new_3.jpg (106.3 KB, 3858 views)

Thank you for the answer.

I think, the written report from the hospital differs from that shown on the picture. That is why I ask to see the picture together with the report.

Well... This is the exact words from the Canadian hospital report: "Findings: At L4-5 there is disc desiccation. Annular tear involving the L5-S1 discs. No evidence of disc protrusion".

...from the surgeon report: "Weak hip girdle, particularly abductors, lateral hip pain, secondary GT bursitis." -- no single word about findings from the hospital MRI though he was looking at their report while writing this diagnosis.

...from the Canadian physio therapist: "Multiple spinal discs L4-L5, L5-S1 protrusions are observed from MRI images"

And from the Different Country report: "T1-, T2-, T2*- and PD. T2 images show MP signal reduced (discs L4-L5, L5-S1). Spinal canal: not narrowed. Any other abnormalities or tumors: not observed. Conclusion: Discs L4-L5, L-5-S1 are degenerated."