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What Does My MRI Report Of Cervical Spine Indicate?
Question: Hello Doc,
I was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis. I have been wearing the neck brace for about two weeks to help relief the pressure. Over the weekend, I did not really wear it. On Sunday night, I began to feel weak and may arms and legs felt heavy. Shortly after, I felt a pressure behind my nose and in the dorsal part of the root of my mouth. This gave me the feeling of a difficulty breathing because of the pressure. Today, it happened again. I had the neck brace off for a few hours and i began to have the same symptoms with neck tension and the same pressure behind the nose bridge. It seems like all this is happening when I let my neck "roam" freely on its own. I have mostly felt the pressures when i moved my neck down to my chin. I am a shoe repairer and one of my machines is fairly low to where i have to continuously look down with my chin down, hence why I chose to use a neck brace and it has helped out tremendously. However, it seems that now, I don't last to long without it before i began to feel tensions in my neck up the back of my head into the front of my face.
Can you interpret this report for me, please? MRI of the cervical Spine.
History: Neck pain and radiculopathy
Comparison: NONE
Technique: Multisequential and multi planar images of cervical spine were submitted for review without contrast.
Findings: The cord is normal in caliber and signal. There is no cerebellar ectopia. The alignment of the cervical spine is within normal limits. There is normal bona marrow signal demonstrated throughout the cervical spine.
C2-C3: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C3-C4: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C4-C5: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and mild left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C5-C6: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate to severe bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing.
C6-C7: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and moderate to severe left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C7-T1: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
T1-T4: Evaluated on sagittal images only. No disc bulge, mass effect on the cord or neuroforaminal narrowing.
Please advice on what I should do about it. At times I have felt numbness in face along with a feeling of a "heavy" head. Was not advised by doctor but I have been using a neck brace and it reliefs pain and pressure.
I was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis. I have been wearing the neck brace for about two weeks to help relief the pressure. Over the weekend, I did not really wear it. On Sunday night, I began to feel weak and may arms and legs felt heavy. Shortly after, I felt a pressure behind my nose and in the dorsal part of the root of my mouth. This gave me the feeling of a difficulty breathing because of the pressure. Today, it happened again. I had the neck brace off for a few hours and i began to have the same symptoms with neck tension and the same pressure behind the nose bridge. It seems like all this is happening when I let my neck "roam" freely on its own. I have mostly felt the pressures when i moved my neck down to my chin. I am a shoe repairer and one of my machines is fairly low to where i have to continuously look down with my chin down, hence why I chose to use a neck brace and it has helped out tremendously. However, it seems that now, I don't last to long without it before i began to feel tensions in my neck up the back of my head into the front of my face.
Can you interpret this report for me, please? MRI of the cervical Spine.
History: Neck pain and radiculopathy
Comparison: NONE
Technique: Multisequential and multi planar images of cervical spine were submitted for review without contrast.
Findings: The cord is normal in caliber and signal. There is no cerebellar ectopia. The alignment of the cervical spine is within normal limits. There is normal bona marrow signal demonstrated throughout the cervical spine.
C2-C3: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C3-C4: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
C4-C5: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and mild left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C5-C6: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate to severe bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing.
C6-C7: Broad-based disc bulge with no mass effect on the cord. There is uncovertebral hypertrophy with moderate right and moderate to severe left neuroforaminal narrowing.
C7-T1: No disc bulge, no mass effect on the cord or neural foramina narrowing.
T1-T4: Evaluated on sagittal images only. No disc bulge, mass effect on the cord or neuroforaminal narrowing.
Please advice on what I should do about it. At times I have felt numbness in face along with a feeling of a "heavy" head. Was not advised by doctor but I have been using a neck brace and it reliefs pain and pressure.
Brief Answer:
Disc disease is mild, can be managed medically.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
I have noted your symptoms and also seen the MRI report and films.
First of all, I would like to reassure you that the abnormalities seen on the MRI are mild and can be managed without surgery.
There is a disc prolapse at three levels in the neck region, which is mild and there is no pressure on the spinal cord at those levels. The nerves, however, are mildly pinched at those levels.
Treatment would consist of using neck collar and physiotherapy. In physiotherapy, IFT/ultrasound/traction would be used, and neck extension exercises would be taught.
Medications such as pregabalin capsules and vitamin B12 supplements would also help you.
I hope my answer helps. Please get back if you have any follow up queries or if you require any additional information.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Internal Medicine), DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Apollo Hospitals, XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
Click on this link to ask me a DIRECT QUERY: http://bit.ly/Dr-Sudhir-kumar
My BLOG: http://bestneurodoctor.blogspot.in
Disc disease is mild, can be managed medically.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
I have noted your symptoms and also seen the MRI report and films.
First of all, I would like to reassure you that the abnormalities seen on the MRI are mild and can be managed without surgery.
There is a disc prolapse at three levels in the neck region, which is mild and there is no pressure on the spinal cord at those levels. The nerves, however, are mildly pinched at those levels.
Treatment would consist of using neck collar and physiotherapy. In physiotherapy, IFT/ultrasound/traction would be used, and neck extension exercises would be taught.
Medications such as pregabalin capsules and vitamin B12 supplements would also help you.
I hope my answer helps. Please get back if you have any follow up queries or if you require any additional information.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Internal Medicine), DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Apollo Hospitals, XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
Click on this link to ask me a DIRECT QUERY: http://bit.ly/Dr-Sudhir-kumar
My BLOG: http://bestneurodoctor.blogspot.in
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for the quick reply Doctor. However, it concerns me that when I don't have the neck brace on, I have on two different occasions, become weak in the handstand legs and become fairly tired. Also, what about the pressure behind my nose? That has presented itself twice, where it feels like I can't breathe. Thank you in advanced.
Brief Answer:
These symptoms are not of concern.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for getting back.
I would like to reassure you that these are minor symptoms and are not of much concern.
With time and with proper treatment, these symptoms would resolve and would not come.
There is no need to worry.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
These symptoms are not of concern.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for getting back.
I would like to reassure you that these are minor symptoms and are not of much concern.
With time and with proper treatment, these symptoms would resolve and would not come.
There is no need to worry.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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