help me understand this better L-spine mri

[randominsanity]

Findings: Vertebral body heights are adequately maintained. Alignment is anatomic. There is disc desiccation at all levels with additional narrowing at t12-l1, l1,-2 and l2-3. The conus terminates at l1.

There is no significant marrow signal abnormality identified.

L1-2: There is posterior broad-based bulge with Schmori's node end-plate changes in the inferior aspect of L1.
Minimal effacement of the ventral margin of the thecal sac is seen, but no significant central canal stenosis is identified. No foraminal attenuation. There are mild facet degenerative changes.

L2-3: There is anterior spondylosis with a posterior broad-based bulge. There are degenerative changes, but no significant central canal or foraminal attenuation.

L3-4: There is diffuse anterior protrusion with some end-plate spurring and facet disease. I do not see any evidence for significant central canal stenosis, but the neural foramina do appear mildly attenuated, right greater than left.

L4-5: There is diffuse annular bulge with some effacement of the ventral margin of the thecal sac. There is some close approximation of the descending right L5 nerve root within the lateral recess without  significant displacement or impingement. The facets are hypertrophied with ligamentum flavum thickening, but no central canal narrowing. The neural foramina are mildly attenuated on the right and mild-moderately attenuated on the left.

L5-S1: There is a left foraminal disc protrusion, which is in the inferior margin of the foramina causing some mild narrowing, but no impingement of the exiting left L5 nerve root. There is some questionable abutment of the descending left S1 nerve root. Correlation for radicular symptomatology is advised. There is facet disease without significant central canal narrowing. Retroperitoneal structures appear normal.

The paraspinous musculature is intact.

There is a vertebral body hemangioma within L5


   I fell off a roof at the end of 2009. I was around 20 foot up when I slid off and I landed feet first with both knees locked causing me to sprain my ankle. I continued to work up until 2012 in December but the pain I have been experiencing became too great for me to handle and perform any type of work. I know that much of the damage I have could have been from that fall. But I want to know how serious this is. I can barely stand on my feet for more than 25 minutes before I am searching for a place to sit. The steroid injections didn't help much for my right leg going numb while walking or standing. It helped other places because I felt nerves coming awake but that sensation vanished not even 4 days afterwards. What can I do or have done? My doctor is suggesting spinal blocks. Is that the next step if injections don't work?

[randominsanity]

I also have been having some incontinence when i'm on my feet too long during the day. Been having numbness in my pink and finger next to it.

I filed for disability in February last year. Hoping that I will at least get that as I haven't been able to do any type of work since July of 2012. With exception of 3 days in December that year.

Though I have been noticing other things that could mean more problems in my back than just these findings. Like burning in my left shoulder.

  

[Caryopteris]

That's a lot of findings.  The impression portion of the report should condense it down to what the radiologist thinks is most important.  

For one thing, disc dessication means your cushioning between the vertebrae is poor.  They are dried out.  

Schmorl's nodes (your report has a typo) are not fully understood, but it is believed they are areas of "vertical disc herniation" through areas of weakness in the endplate.  Whether this is a cause of pain isn't really known, but it is a fairly common finding in patients with disc disease.  

You don't seem to have stenosis, and that's good, but you do have spurring.  

Attenuated means weakened.  

Diffuse annular bulge is better than a true herniated disc.  Supposedly it could improve.  

Hemangiomas are not usually symptomatic, but sometimes cause pain.  There are treatments if they cause pain.  I will send you a link.  

It sounds like some of your issues could improve and others will continue to get worse.  

I would wear very supportive shoes and avoid standing on concrete floors.  I'd try Epsom salt baths for pain relief.  Don't fall in the tub.  Walk for exercise, but on softer surfaces in great shoes. Magnesium 500 mg in the morning with vitamin D and calcium at night.  Keep your weight down as low as possible.  

I can't comment on other treatments.  Back problems are tough, and surgery is usually not the answer, or should be put off as long as possible because outcomes are not great in the long term for the lower back.