[DarleneMLT]

I have had neck pain for over 2 years that has now gotten severe. Finally got someone to do an MRI to see what was going on. I have never had one on my cervical spine before now. Results are as follows:

Report:
MRI CERVICAL SPINE WITHOUT CONTRAST
Indication: 49-year-old female with neck pain radiating to both
arms
Technique: Multiplanar, multisequence MR images of the cervical
spine were obtained without the administration of intravenous
contrast material.
** Page 5 of 14
Comparison: No prior MRI of the cervical spine is available.
Comparison is made to radiographs of 1/26/2016.
Findings: No abnormal marrow or cord signal is identified.
Visualized portions of the craniocervical junction are within
normal limits.
There is no evidence of displaced fracture or malalignment.
Vertebral body heights are within normal limits. There is mild
reversal of the normal cervical curvature, centered at the C4-C5
level, likely on a degenerative basis. There is multilevel
degenerative disc disease, with intervertebral disc space
narrowing and disc desiccation, most advanced at C5-C6. Findings
will be described in detail by level as follows:
C2-C3: No evidence of neuroforaminal narrowing or spinal canal
stenosis.
C3-C4: Small posterior disc osteophyte complex, resulting in mild
spinal canal stenosis, without evidence of neuroforaminal
narrowing.
C4-C5: Posterior disc osteophyte complex (slightly eccentric to
the left) and mild bilateral uncovertebral arthropathy, resulting
in moderate left neuroforaminal narrowing and moderate to severe
spinal canal stenosis.
C5-C6: Posterior disc osteophyte complex (slightly eccentric to
the right) and mild bilateral uncovertebral arthropathy,
resulting in severe spinal canal stenosis as well as moderate
right and mild to moderate left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C6-C7: Posterior disc osteophyte complex (slightly eccentric to
the right) and mild bilateral uncovertebral arthropathy,
resulting in moderate spinal canal stenosis and mild to moderate
bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing.
C7-T1: Small posterior disc osteophyte complex, resulting in mild
right neuroforaminal narrowing and mild effacement of the thecal
sac, without evidence of compressive spinal canal stenosis.
No prevertebral or paravertebral soft tissue abnormality is
identified.
Impression:
Multilevel degenerative disc disease and uncovertebral
arthropathy as described, most advanced at C5-C6, resulting in
severe spinal canal stenosis as well as moderate right and mild
to moderate left neuroforaminal narrowing at this level. There is
also moderate to severe spinal canal stenosis at C4-C5 and
moderate spinal canal stenosis at C6-C7. Additional findings
described in detail by level as above.


VA dr is sending me to neurosurgeon. Am familiar with most procedures and such, as I used to work as a medical lab tech. However, since this is me, I am both nervous and scared. Surgery is a word that absolutely terrifies me. Not sure what to expect, but I want/need this neck pain (with headaches, stabbing pain in base of neck/head, and burning in shoulders and down arms, with coordination issues in arms/hands also) to go away. Nothing is helping. Thanks for any help.

[Jomar]

There is no mention of cord or nerve impingements...so that might be good.
I hope at the follow up the dr will show you the images and explain specifics.

[neck pain (with headaches, stabbing pain in base of neck/head, and burning in shoulders and down arms, with coordination issues in arms/hands also) ]

Since you mention the sx above I will mention Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. (TOS)
Those sx really made me think of TOS.
If the dr thinks the sx are not really matching up with what is showing on the MRI..
You might want to explore our forum about TOS.
TOS useful sticky thread -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread84.html