severe lower back pain / normal mri? how???

[itsallinmyhead1969]

hi. i have had pretty bad back pain for a very long time. a little over a year ago i made a very bad mistake and rode a roller coaster with my oldest daughter. as soon as i got off, i knew i had messed up really bad. my doctor didnt see me for it, just gave me some muscle relaxers.  they havent helped at all. i cant stand for longer than a few minutes at a time. i cant sit or lay in the same position for more than a few minutes at a time. my left hand went numb in april. i have numbness and tingling in my feet and both hands. i recently started having very severe muscle cramping in my legs. it is as though the muscles lock up tight. the back pain did really get alot worse in the last few days too. i did finally get in to a neurologist. he is checking me for ms. my pcp finally got an mri of the spine yesterday but did it without contrast. by the time i got home from the scan the office called and said it was normal. i was in tears. only the day before i was ready to go to the hospital because of the terrible pain in my back. i decided to wait for the scan to show the problem. i just knew it would. what on earth? now, i had a ct scan in january that found an ovarian cyst...that scan was done with contrast. i got the records out last night. it plainly says....mild degeneration of the spine. why would the ct see something that the mri didnt?(besides using contrast) what else could possibly cause all this awful terrible pain i am having? i mean i can barely walk. i know something is wrong....thanks.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Back pain is a common problem and I can tell you a general principle that people with symptoms like yours follow.

After many evaluations by multiple physicians, a specialist in rib & back pain is the kind of physician you're looking for. A chiropractor can't help you order an MRI. 3 different kinds of specialists that do order MRIs for this area are:
1) physical medicine and rehabilitation MDs
2) neurologists
3) neurosurgeons

These physicians typically require you to have a primary care physician, and since you belong to an HMO you should have one assigned to you. You'd need their buy-in to refer you to one of these 3 kinds of specialists. If you had a PPO, you could self-refer (go see them yourself).

The 3 different specialists have different goals, and that's why it's useful to have your own doctor evaluate you and judge which could be most helpful:
1) physical medicine and rehabilitation MDs -> procedures: physical therapy and chronic pain management e.g. trigger point injections, epidurals
2) neurologists -> medications for neuropathies
3) neurosurgeons -> surgery to fix slipped discs & nerve root impingement.

you'll have to find a doc to help you, good luck!

Enoch Choi, MD
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Urgent Care

[tia10101010101]

I am a 29 yr old mother of three. About 2 months ago I had this constant "charlie horse" in my lower back. It was getting worse, so I was referrd to a Spine specialist, who immediatly gave me a perscription for an MRI. Since then, for about 2 months I have been having Sciatica symptoms. It is so bad, at times, my left leg will go numb, and I have problems walking. It now is going into the right side as well. On the Left side, I have this incredible burning, stabbing , it literally feels like there is a knife in my back, there is a burning sensation, that goes all the way down my leg. On the front side of my leg it feels like the circulation is being cut off. as I said before, the stabbing is now also in my right butock. I had the MRI and the report said the structure is normal, and they do not see why I am in pain! I am SO frustrated!!! I have been having chronic pain for 2 months now and the MRI is NORMAL??? WHY?

[kittyluv1]

Sorry to hear of your prolonged discomfort.  Unfortunately, there are no medical doctors participating in this forum and any information provided by the members is primarily based on personal experiences of those who are having similar difficulties.
An MRI should provide significant information regarding the status of your spine and should identify whether there is any stenosis (narrowing) of the spinal canal or if there is any evidence of herniation of the intervertebral discs.
If your MRI is "normal", what has the spine specialist recommended regarding any additional testing or treatment for your symptoms?
If you have a copy of the MRI report, post the findings that are written on the report and we may be able to sort things through for you.
Sciatica and the other symptoms you are experiencing can be caused by many different  things and it may be that you need more comprehensive testing to determine your status.
Post with an update and we will try and assist you further.
Best wishes ----