hugg724

I have an appt tomorrow with my neurologist to discuss my latests MRI. I am having ALOT Of pain between my shoulder blades over to my right arm with tingling and numbness. I also have had a headache for 3 months straight with burning pain on the top of my neck. One or the other causes me to feel like I have restless leg syndrome in my neck area. I had a fusion of levels C4/C5, C5/C6 and C6/C7 in October 2006.

Here what my MRI says:

C3-C4 mild annular disc uncovertebral joint arthropathy with mild right neural foraminal narrowing. Mild effacement anterior aspect thecal sac without canal compromise.

C5-C6 uncovertebral joint athropathy with mild relative narrowing of the left neural formamen.

C6-C7 uncovertebral joint arthropathy and left posterior lateral disc with moderate narrowing of the left neural foramen.

Edema and moderate postcontrast enhancement involving the seventh cervical vertebral body which is indeterminant probably chronic degenerative.

What does all this mean? I know different radiologists use different terminology but this is the same radiologist who has read my other MRI's. This wasn't on previous reports. Am I losing my mind or do I actually have something here to justify this HELL I have been going through pain wise? When I tried to do a search, all I could find was arthropathy = joint disease. I understand the narrowing of the neural foramen is related to nerves but what level of the narrowing is cause for pain (mild, moderate, severe etc). Also, has anyone ever heard of edema around the vertebra?

Because the discs above and below my fusion are at "risk" doing all the work of the fused discs, my doc said he wouldn't do any more surgery unless it was serious enough. He is watching the C3/C4 disc more than anything else.

What questions should I ask him. I want some answers and some pain relief!!!