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Having Lower Back Pain. MRI Showed Diffuse Annular Bulge With Minimal Thecal Sac Compression. Treatment?

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Posted on Thu, 7 Mar 2013
Question: sir i am suffering from lower back pain for almost 3 months.sometimes pain will be felt on both the legs also.i was taking medications from then.did mri scan.the report says "diffuse annular bulge between L4 and L5 with minimal thecal sac compression.all other inter vertebral discs are normal."kindly help me with some measures to reduce my pain.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Rahul D Chaudhari (19 minutes later)
Welcome to XXXXXXX
Low back pain is quite common and most common reason is back muscle sprain. However persistent back pain could be due to disc prolapse as you said in the report. Is it the black disc on MRI or its just a disc bulge? in young persons disc bulge may be present but if disc shows normal intensity signals then it may not be the pain source.
Coming to remedy, initially it is always treated with medicine and physiotherapy. Try anti inflammatory with muscle relaxants with local gel application and along with it physio modalities such as interferrential therapy or ultrasound. Over a period you need to start back muscle exercises and also consider bringing changes in your routine if it involves doing work in awkward positions, prolong sitting job, lifting heavy things etc.. This should help.
If possible please upload your MRI images to know more about the disc condition. Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Rahul D Chaudhari (43 hours later)
sir,sorry i am not able to upload the mri images.the disc appears to be dark coloured and there is some sort of dehydration.the prolapse of the disc is not prounced.i have been taking muscle relaxants for almost 1 month-a preparation of thiocolchicoside and paracetamol..are there any side effects in using these medicines?i am taking them only when there is pain.if the condition persists ,will there be any problem in the future?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Rahul D Chaudhari (19 minutes later)
No worries. Black disc means dehydrated disc. It may cause back pain. When you know you have disc prolapse then you need to take extra care of your back. Regular back muscle stretching and exercise will help. If you like swimming then that is also a very good option. bring some changes in your routine as suggested above.
Taking Pain medicine for longer duration (like months) should be avoided however on and off taking pain medicine is not a problem. pain killer have side effects on stomach kidneys.
Dehydrated disc can cause persistent back pain and sometimes pinching of the nerves in future and regular exercise will keep you away from these problems. Thanks.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Rahul D Chaudhari

Spine Surgeon

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 322 Questions

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Having Lower Back Pain. MRI Showed Diffuse Annular Bulge With Minimal Thecal Sac Compression. Treatment?

Welcome to XXXXXXX
Low back pain is quite common and most common reason is back muscle sprain. However persistent back pain could be due to disc prolapse as you said in the report. Is it the black disc on MRI or its just a disc bulge? in young persons disc bulge may be present but if disc shows normal intensity signals then it may not be the pain source.
Coming to remedy, initially it is always treated with medicine and physiotherapy. Try anti inflammatory with muscle relaxants with local gel application and along with it physio modalities such as interferrential therapy or ultrasound. Over a period you need to start back muscle exercises and also consider bringing changes in your routine if it involves doing work in awkward positions, prolong sitting job, lifting heavy things etc.. This should help.
If possible please upload your MRI images to know more about the disc condition. Thanks.