Help with MRI results

[foley73]

After a couple years of left upper thigh being numb I had an MRI in Jan. Last week I dont know what happened but i am in a great amount of pain in lower back and left leg. had a hip replacement in 2000 on right side with nerve damage and have groin pain there constant but has gotten worse. So here is what the MRI says about the old back. L3 L4 some facet and ligmentum hypertrophy without significant canal stenosis and there is narrowing of the neural foramina . Small left lateral rent at l3 l4 neural foramen narrowing on right. L4 L5 small broad based disc displacement with minimal narrowing of right neural foramen as compared to the left. No significant canal stenosis. After asking Dr about the numbness and burning for a while and he kept telling me I slept wrong I just gave up. Finally had MRI done and Dr never brought the results up so I figured No problems. When it got worse I went and got the report and I still dont know anymore than I did. Would someone please help been down over a week.

[mmglobal]

Your MRI report does not sound too exciting.... "without significant canal stenosis", "small rent", "small disc displacement", "no siginificant canal stenosis".... You'll probably get answers similar to what I got early in my career as a spine patient:

• "your films look too good for you to be reporting the kind of pain you are reporting" or,
  
  
• "I could pull 100 45 year-old men off the street who have NO symptoms and 1/2 of them would have an MRI that looks worse than yours.

Unfortunately, that does not help you. While both of those statements may seem true, even the parts of your spine that don't look too bad could be causing your problems.

Since you have a total hip replacement, the next joint in line for adjacent disease would be your SI joint. Has that been evaluated by someone who knows SI joint dysfunction?

How old is your MRI and does it predate an injury or substantial change in symptoms? Maybe it is out of date?

Good luck!

Mark

[foley73]

Originally Posted by mmglobal

Your MRI report does not sound too exciting.... "without significant canal stenosis", "small rent", "small disc displacement", "no siginificant canal stenosis".... You'll probably get answers similar to what I got early in my career as a spine patient:

• "your films look too good for you to be reporting the kind of pain you are reporting" or,
  
  
• "I could pull 100 45 year-old men off the street who have NO symptoms and 1/2 of them would have an MRI that looks worse than yours.

Unfortunately, that does not help you. While both of those statements may seem true, even the parts of your spine that don't look too bad could be causing your problems.

Since you have a total hip replacement, the next joint in line for adjacent disease would be your SI joint. Has that been evaluated by someone who knows SI joint dysfunction?

How old is your MRI and does it predate an injury or substantial change in symptoms? Maybe it is out of date?

Good luck!

Mark

MRI in Jan of this year. What did U finally have to do. I live in a 2 stop light town with very few Drs and even less answers. Thanks mark

[John Galt]

In addition to what Mmgobal said you may want to try Physical Therapy.

[mmglobal]

Originally Posted by foley73

.... What did U finally have to do. I live in a 2 stop light town with very few Drs and even less answers. Thanks mark

You must get to a doctor who embraces the new technologies. That will likely mean going out of town. I would not trust a doctor that does not frequently do ADR's to tell me that I'm not a candidate.

Unfortunately, like most of the ADR patients I know... I had to go overseas and self pay for my surgery. (22,000 Euro, at that time it was worth $22,000 US)

[cherylstewart67]

but if it's more than that you would have to go to Germany, London, or Brazil to name a few... i wish i could have.

[cherylstewart67]

just becasue your mri says slight or mild does not mean it' not causing you real pain. you may need a ct mylogram. but i cation you about the dyes; it can lead to kidney issues.