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This is what my mri revealed last week. “ C4-C5: Mild facet hypertrophy causing mild narrowing of the right foramen. C5-C6: Diffuse disc bulge. Mild facet operatively. Moderate narrowing of the canal and foramen bilaterally. C6-C7: Mild diffuse disc osteophyte producing mild foraminal and canal narrowing. Partial lumbarization of the upper sacrum. L4-L5: Annular fissure posteriorly. Mild diffuse disc bulge. Facet hypertrophy. Moderate narrowing of the foramen and mild narrowing of the canal. L5-S1: Annular fissure. Asymmetric facet hypertrophy. Disc protrusion favors the left extending from the right of midline into the left foramen. It extends about 2.5 cm transverse and into the canal about 3 mm. The foramen has moderate-to-severe narrowing of the left with mild narrowing on the right and mild-to-moderate overall canal narrowing. The lateral recess on the left is encroached upon moderately.” Then you m told, “Take ibuprofen.” Yet another reason I am done.
Replies to "This is what my mri revealed last week. “ C4-C5: Mild facet hypertrophy causing mild narrowing..."
Good Grief..that is so dismissive and such an under-reaction it is insulting! A respectable orthopedist would give you options. A pain management helped me with injections in my back. I really hope you can get some relief. Ps; the neurologist referred me.
I have all that and more. It's all quite common and even neuros don't know what to do with it. Yes, ibuprofen will help because even without stenosis, extruded disc material is inflammatory. Surrounding muscles react to the inflammation, people stop moving or start guarding, and pain gets worse: every little movement makes it worse.
Even with severe foraminal stenosis, the nerve still has wiggle room. The canal is not the cord so 3 mm encroachment looks horrifying but it's not.
There are a couple resources for understanding all the bits and bumps on an MRI. One person is Tom Jesson whose focus of research and teaching doctors is sciatica, cauda equina syndrome, and lumbar disc herniation, stenosis etc. The other is California spinal surgeon Brian Su, who has educational YouTube videos.
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Sounds like you are in a lot of pain. I had back surgery in Dec 2009 L5 S1 Buldging disc. My doctor fused my disc together and now my back is worse than it was before I had my surgery.