Isis498

I recently had an MRI for Cervical pain, I am not new to it, after 2 auto accidents over the past 30 years, causing herniated discs and arthritis. I expect some of that, after all I am 56. It has been excerbated by some intensive house remodeling recently. I will post the findings. I have been referred to a NS.

My hope is that someone can interpret these enough to relate whether it might be feasible to be helped with maybe Epidural injections, or some type of PT. It reads:

Findings: The cervical vertebrae are intact, and there is straightening of the cervical spine. Alignment is normal. The cervical spinal cord appears normal.

At the C3-C4 disc, there is abnormal posterior disc convexity that appears most consistent with broad-based posterior central disc protrusion producing moderate thecal sac & borderline ventral spinal cord impingment.

At the C4-C5 disc, the disc margins are unremarkable. At the C-5-C-6, there is moderate ventral thecal sac compression & what appears to be some posterior osteopytic ridging with mild annular bulge.

At the C-6-C-7 disc, there appears to be mild annular bulge, producing mild thecal sac indentation.

There appears to be moderate stenosis of the left C-5 C-6 Neuroforamen. Otherwise the neuroformina are unremarkable.

CONCLUSION:
1. Broad-based posterior central protrusion of the C-3 C-4 disc producing moderate thecal sac compression & borderline central spinal cord impingement.

2. Moderate stenosis of left C-5-C-6 neuroforamen.

3. Disc osteophyte complex producing moderate thecal sac compression but no cord impingement at C-5 C-6.

4. Small posterior central protrusion of the C-7 T-1 disc, producing minimal thecal sac indentation.

When the PA called to give me results all she said was, basically I had severe arthritis, and some thecal sac pinching. That was when I decided to pick the results up myself and give them a read.

All I know is my neck hurts, I feel like an elephant is sitting on my head, head feels very heavy, it feels like I have a VERY tight pair of clip-on earrings on, and a pinching sensation under my ears into my neck/jaws area. It feels like my glands are swollen. This drives me crazy. I have numbness along the sides of my neck, and have for years, and down in small streaks along my forearms. No really bad numbness, though or tingling.

I had a lumbar laminectomy a few years ago, and am familiar with stenosis, so I know what that is. BTW, it was a complete success. I know what many of the terms above mean, but when they are all put together; not so much. Since I can't see the NS for another month, I just have to wonder what all this means. I'm ready for some relief NOW. I take Tylenol only. Cannot take NSAIDS, because of kidney issues.

Anyone here care to take a stab at this?? TIA

PS...I also posted this on another forum, so if you are reading it for the 2nd time, sorry...