I have been seeing pain management for a long time due to neck problems. My most recent mri states this.
c2/3, c3/4, and c7/t1: facet disease causing no neural compression
c4/c5: posterior disc bilge, together with a focal central disc herniation and facet disease causing no neural compression
c5/c6, and c6-7: tiny posterior disc bulge, together with facet and uncovertebral disease causing no neural compression
I am not sure what all this means. Can someone help explain it to me in people terms. I am only 34 and I can tell you that when my neck starts bothering me the neck feels like there's 100 pounds pushing down on it. I also get migraines that make me have to lay down, because there are so bad. The pain starts in the neck and goes into the head for a migraine. If anyone can help I would appreciate it or if there is another area I should post this please let me know.
Hey There- I'm sorry I can't translate the medical jargon for you, but your doctor can do that. My doctor was very helpful & patient in explaining my MRI results to me. He actually had to break it down for me twice before I totally understood what was going on inside me.
Some of what you wrote sounds like you have some issues with facet degeneration that is not causing any impingement on the nerves in the cervical (neck) and thoracic (upper chest) areas, and it also sounds like you have some buldging discs in the cervical area, but again, your doctor can best relate the exact issues with your back.
There may be someone here who can help, so keep checking back.
In the mean time, I wish you the very best in getting these issues taken care of.
I have a docs appt next week, but was just trying to get a heads up before I go in there, so I can feel a little more comfortable with some knowledge. Once I have knowledge then questions come easily for me. Thanks for the reply
Hey Rob, Ias your apt with a surgeon or your PM doc. Most surgeons are going to want to see the films themselve nd wont rely on a radiologist report. Despite the changes in facets which are where the nerves pass out through the spine, they dont see any nerve compression, They noted some mild bulges but without a neuro component, loss of strength, loss of muscle, loss of feeling, It would be very unusual for a doc to operate without something he is specifically going in to relive like a compressed nerve or spinal cord.
My wife has a bad neck, multiple disc bulges, a 5mm compression of the spnal cord and some major changes in the vertabrea, but untill she wakes up and cant feel oher hands or cant hold a glass of water, No surgeon is going to touch her. She also has head aches from her neck, Those aren't true migraines but the likelyhood of surgery reliveing your headache again are low.
My wife has had good results with Botox, Trigger point injections and ESI when it really flares up. She also takes meds but a doc that doesn't do procedures wouldn't be able to offer her half the relief she gets from the combined modalities. I woudn't cancel a surgeons apt, but if you looking for an easy fix, there really isn't anything that jumps out on that report that says fix this and it will resolve your issues. But that's why surgeons want to look for themself, rather than going by a rad report.
Good luck, Dave
Last edited by Shoreline; 04-27-2012 at 10:18 AM.
Reason: spelling
It is with pain management whom I have been seeing for years. I am also seeing them, because my left arm and hand like up like a claw where it freezes and I can't move it for a while and it turns purple, and cold at times. They think the left arm is RSD, which I am currently getting trial nerve blocks for but it could be from the neck. Anyway I have tried several different injections and they just make my neck area flair up. I just hate it when the neck starts feeling bad and the migraine starts I have to stop what I'm doing and lay down. My question is what causes the migraines when the neck starts hurting and locking up and the severe pain that I have to lay down til it stops? Should I go see a surgeon or keep going to PM and stay on the meds they have me on? Sorry for the questions, but I want to be prepared for PM next week.
Hi, your PM doctor is not there to diagnose you. Their job is to manage your pain. Your surgeon, neuro doc, etc. is responsible for diagnosing the problem. If you have unanswered problems or symptoms, then you should see your surgeon or neuro.
