here is what my MRI report say:

HISTORY: patient has neck pain radiating into both shoulders with weakness in the right arm.

TECHNIQUE: sagittal and axial images are obtained using T1,T2 sequencce. sagittal STIR images are obtained. 83 images are submitted.

FINDINGS: marrow signal intensity and height of vertebral bodies show no evidence of fracture, tumor,metastatic disease or bone contusion. there is a reversal of the normal lordotic curvature.

craniocervical junction, cervicothoracic junction, and cervical spinal cord show no evidence of space occupying lesion, edema or mass effect. size, configuration, signal intensities and location are normal

DISC SPACES

C2-C3, C3-C4, C4-C5 and C7-T1 show no evidence of disc bulge, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, or encroachment of the exiting nerve root or neural foramina.

C5-C6: there is a 3mm posterocentral disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac. there is bilateral uncovertebral hypertrophic changes. there is mild bilateral central spinal stenosis, right more than left.

C6-C7: there is no evidence of disc bulge, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, or encroachment of the exiting nerve root or neural foramina.

IMPRESSION:

1. C5-C6: there is a 3mm posterocentral disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac. there is bilateral uncovertebral hypertrophic changes. there is mild bilateral central spinal stenosis, right more than left.


now i don't have ant kind of medical education and i'm not trying to call BS on anyone here but my chiropractor explained these results to me. this is what i got from his explanation. (trying to put my laymen's understanding to work here, may not be 100% accurate).

"there is a 3mm posterocentral disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac"

i interpret this to mean that the disc is bulging in the rear of the spinal column toward the spinal cord pressing against the fluid filled sac that contains the spinal cord.

"there is bilateral uncovertebral hypertrophic changes"

i don't understand this statement

"there is mild bilateral central spinal stenosis, right more than left"

this was explained to me as a narrowing of the canal of the nerve exiting the spinal column(not a narrowing of the spinal canal itself).


chiropractor thinks that my best course of treatment is spinal decompression, and that i might also want to get a cortizone/steroid shot to help relieve some of the muscle tension, but that i'm not necesarily a surgical candidate yet.

anyone have an opinion on this?

i have a doctor appointment on the 24th when i go home, but i'm not sure if i should wait that long or that i even can wait that long.

i'm sure most would agree with me that my MRI results could have been alot worse, but the fact that the results are not catastrophic doesn't do anything for my pain.

these responses are helping me to develop questions to ask my doctor when i do see him, so please if there is any more input out there lets have it.

much appreciated
skydivr Reviewed by skydivr on . herniated disc !!!help!!! it is a pain in the ass trying to find out anything relevant from the internet without having to buy this or subscribe to that, so i'm calling on the openness of these forums and the experience of those out there who don't mind sharing their experience with others who have similar conditions. anyone out there with chronic back pain, bulging or herniated discs, or spinal stenosis. i'm curious about what kind of treatments have been effective at relieving the most severe back or neck pain. Rating: 5