Is it my spine or something else?
Hello! For the past 3 months I have been under a LOT of stress with a family member getting diagnosed with cancer but also during that time I have been suffering with these health issues:
Pain in calves (especially when standing), Muscle spasms in legs (mostly calf area), right calf atrophy, pain in back, pain in arms radiating to fingers, vibration feeling in legs, numbness, headaches, weakness in legs and hands, tongue fascinations, and lots of stress/anxiety.
I don’t know if it’s something more serious like ALS, but my neurologist sent me for MRIs of the brain and spine and here were the results:
Cervical Straightening of the cervical spine. Cervical spondylosis.
Thoracic There is minimal disc disease at T5-T6 with small posterior disc osteophyte.
Lumbar Mild disc disease of L4-L5 and L5-S1 with mild canal stenosis at L4-L5.
Tiny tears in the posterior annulus of L4-L5 and L5-S1 are present.
L4-L5: There is disc desiccation with posterior broad-based disc bulge and focal T2 hyperintensity in the posterior annulus consistent with small tear. There is minimal facet osteoarthropathy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. This results in mild central canal stenosis. There is minimal bilateral neural foraminal narrowing.
L5-S1: Disc desiccation with small broad-based posterior disc bulge. Focal T2 hyperintensity consistent with small tear is seen within the posterior annulus. There is minimal facet osteoarthropathy. No significant central canal stenosis. No significant neuroforaminal narrowing.
My neurologist did examine me and said there’s nothing more he can do besides look into surgery for the tiny tears in my discs but has referred me to a clinic with doctors for physical therapy and possible steroid injections.
My body just aches and twitches and “feels” weak… has anyone experience anything like this? Need to get my anxiety mind off of the worse case scenario! Thanks for any and all responses!
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Hopefully the future EMG will tell me if/what never are affected.