no idea what mri report actually means??help - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

powderblue1943 · 08-30-2004, 10:41 AM

i injured my back pulling weeds in the garden a couple months ago. the hospital said it was just a pulled muscle. the back pain went away a couple weeks later, but ever since then i have had increasing pain starting in my right buttocks and continuing down my leg to the ankle. it finally got so bad i couldn't stand up or walk for more than 10 minutes without excruciating pain down my leg. i had an mri done, but i don't understand it exactly. have an appointment with nuerologist but not for a month. i have been hearing lots of different stories about what he will do. i just can't understand how pulling weeds could do this to me. my mri results are as follows. Normal lumbar lordosis. No evidence of marrow replacement or foraminal stenosis. Desiccation of the lowest disc. Axials reveal: L1/L2 Mild diffuse bulge, small right paracentral protrusion without stenosis. L2/L3 Mild diffuse bulge. L3/L4 Mild diffuse bulge. L4/L5 Mild diffuse bulge. L5/S1 Posterior bulge, right paracentral herniation, deflects but does not compress the right S1 nerve root in the lateral recess. Sagittal images show an incidental 3.8 cm left pelvic cystic appearing focus. Can anyone tell me what to expect??

Murphy · 08-30-2004, 12:42 PM

Expect to spend lots more $ on appts, therapy, & tests, just to hopefully get the
same answer the hospital told you. I was in athlete shape & took a small fall while
skiing. The snow got the worst! That night, after the hot tub soak, slept like a baby
& woke like a grizzly bear in agony. Mri 2 weeks later showed lumbar bulges dwn to
sacral area. May be old ones or swollen tissue near disks. I didn't take hospitals advice
& rest w/ ice for 6 wks. I was on all 4's to get to the bathrm! Went to Neuro & spent
lots of time, $, massages, etc. Only to find out that if U don't STOP to heal & let
inflammation go dwn, U won't get btr & may make bulges worse. The leg pain may be
a trigger spasm near the inflamm. pinching a nerve. Don't cancel the appt. but get
someone to baby U & move slow, use lots of ice-paks or even a bag of frozen peas
wks. great since they contour. MRI sounds much worse than I bet it is. U over-did-it!
Once healed, U will have to lift/bend w/ less extreme stretch. OWEE! Felt your pain!

powderblue1943 · 09-02-2004, 02:13 PM

thanks you for the info. did find out more from neuro. he decided the results i first got were not correct. is actually a total contricted nerve and will require surgery. i guess second opinion is in order now.