Help decode my MRI
 

L4-L5: There is small central and left paracentral disk bulge: thecal sac is patent. There is mild narrowing of the left neural foramen.

L5-S1: There is left paracentral disk extrusion which measures 1.2 cm and extends inferiorly abutting the exiting left S1 nerve root. Thecal sac remains patent. There is mild narrowing of the left neural foramen.

I have had extreme leg numbness, weakness, pain on my left side for over a year. I have had back pain for over 2 years. I have had a MRI 2 years ago as well as this one and there is no improvement. actually I believe its got worse. They had me go get ESI shots before but since I was in the military they are making me do it all again in the VA and like I stated its been a year or so since my last ESI which did absoutly nothing.
Thanks for all the help

1.2cm is huge and if you are more than a year into this and not getting better, I'm surprised that they have not suggested a decompression surgery? (assuming the degree of impairment warrants surgery, which it sounds like it does.) If the level of degeneration is too severe to get away with a decompression surgery, they may be discussing fusion or ADR.

Good luck... let is know how you progress.

Mark

Mark

re disc bulge
 

I think my disc bulges were measured in mm and they were small like 2 to 4mm or something like that and created all kinds of nasty pain for me so your disc bulge is something like 12mm I think if converted to mm... yeah that's big!

With that size disc bulge and "extreme" numbness and weakness I am surprised you're having to go thru everything all over again esp. if you say you're getting worse. I mean I can understand an updated MRI and diagnostics tho not a round of ESI again at this point other than maybe to hope to calm down some of the pain related symptoms prior to surgery.

Then again I don't have any idea of how the military handles things and have been used to a Worker's Comp type of treatment which depends on what year it is and status of CA WC system as to how well things are handled.

Still I would think your symptoms warrent some expedited care/treatment.

good luck~ Maria

Thank you
 

Thank you Mark and Maria. yeah the military is funny sometimes on how they work. I got a medical discharge from the military from my back issues. Before they would discharge me they had me do PT and everything inbetween all the way up to ESI. They gave me a percentage and sent me on my way. This was Oct 11. Pretty much they Past me on to the VA and before they can give me my disability they need to see what has happened since my discharge and to them that means do everything all over again. When I left the Army they said that I was not bad enough for surgery but as you guys mentioned the herniation has got bigger so know they are probley talking about surgery. I hope its not fusion because I am 28 YRS old and have a 3 year old daughter that loves the outdoors like me and I want to show her that experience. I will keep you guys updated as I am informed I find it really conforting to talk to people that are have the same situation as me. I think its from the military mine frame of being able to work through the pain but I feel like people think I am making it up all the time and its good to hear people that know I am not.

My spine is almost totally fused . From my research the L5-S1 area does not have much motion. That is what you loose with fusion. The other lumbar areas have more motion so if it is only the lowest one you should be ok if no complications occur.
judy

re fusion
 

I had the option of having more surgery but I hated the idea of fusion since I had 3 lumbar levels that were disrupted. L4 and L5S1 already had discectomies that failed so when I was first being offered more surgery it was a 3 level global fusion which I said "no way" to and have been glad ever since. In 2003 the option to have ADR on both L4 and L5S1 was given to me but taken away by WC so had to go thru another 2 years trying to get surgery approved again and by that time I was being offered ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1.

I was just too scared to have fusion and too scared to have more surgery plus I wasn't having as much pain as I had for many years so I figured "better the devil I know than the devil I don't!"

However with a bulge the size you have and your level of pain and numbness yeah I'd have surgery. I do hope you get to see someone that maybe does ADR so that the option if you're a candidate might be available to you as you are very young still. In fact you're the age I was when I first hurt my back!

Good luck. We do know about pain and the limitations someone with all that crap goes thru here unfortunately. Hope you can get your back straightened out tho and have a great life in the outdoors and everywhere with your little girl! Maria