What Does My MRI Scan Report Indicate?

Posted on Tue, 3 Feb 2015

Question: Hello. I'm 55 years old male with arthritis in my body. Got pain in my neck and numness in my left arm fingers. MRI shows C6-7: There is moderate-sized circumferential disc herniation wich is mildly indenting the anterior aspect of the thecal sac. The spinal cord is normal by apperance at this level. There is a severe narrowing of the left neural foramen by surrounding osteophyte.
Impression: Degenerative disc disease is identified at C6-7 associated with severe left neural foramen stenosis by surrounding osteophyte. What is my options to get rid of this pain and numness?
Any exsersises for that? Thanks. XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Saurabh Gupta (36 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Following are the options.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for your query.

Your symptoms and MRI findings are suggestive of degenerative disc disease with disc herniation at c5-c6 level compressing the nerve roots.
Options are conservative management in the form of medicines for pain, exercises-cervical isometric exercises, physiotherapy(TENS, intermittent cervical traction),Epidural steroid injections. If the pain persist and there is no any improvement from conservative management, then another option is surgery(disectomy) by which compression over nerve is removed.

Hope this will helps you.

Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju

Follow up: Dr. Saurabh Gupta (1 hour later)

Doctor XXXXXXX my case is C6-C7 degenerative disc desease assosiated with severe neural foramen stenosis with surrounding osteophyte. From my understanding this osteophyte compress the nerve.
You wrote:" Your symptoms and MRI findings are suggestive of degenerative disc disease with disc herniation at c5-c6 level compressing the nerve roots."
Why c5-c6?
Please clerify.

Answered by Dr. Saurabh Gupta (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Very sorry for mistake.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Very sorry for mistake. It is disc herniation at C6-C7 level.

Warm regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Saurabh Gupta (8 hours later)

Doctor XXXXXXX my case is C6-C7 degenerative disc desease assosiated with severe neural foramen stenosis with surrounding osteophyte. From my understanding this osteophyte compress the nerve.
You wrote: Your symptoms and MRI findings are suggestive of degenerative disc disease with disc herniation at c6-c7 level compressing the nerve roots.

Please clerify what is pressing the nerve:
1. Ostheophite in left neural foramen OR
2. disc herniation at C6-C7 level

Thanks

Answered by Dr. Saurabh Gupta (14 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Both these causing compression.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

In your case both these causing compression over nerve.

Warm regards.

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