Neck Pain - Tingling and numbness

[rick2057]

I have been having neck pain and tingling/numbness of the left shoulder, arm and neck.  THIs has been going on for about 3 months.  Orthopaedic doc sent me for MRI and these are the results.  As with many doc's I got very little time. So I was hoping someone here could help me understand the results.

A 53-year-old who presents \vith neck pain extending to the left arm.
TECHNICAL FACTORS:
MultidimensionaL multi echo imaging of the cervical spine was obtained utilizing a dedicated coi J.
FINDINGS:
The axial images demonstrate asymmetry in the soft tissues in the submandibular region with questionable enlargement or abnonnality of the right submandibular or submaxillary gland. Clinical correlation and palpation may be of benefit. This focus measures approximately 2.6 cm in diameter.
The alignment and vertebral body heights of the cervical spine are preserved. Disk desiccation is seen to the cervical spine with slight loss of mid vertebral body height of C6, which is not acute. The signal within the spinal cord of the cervical spine is within normal limits.
C2-C3: The C2-C3 disk demonstrates a small, right paracemral bulge, which flattens the thecal sac anteriorly.
C3-C4: A mild annular bulge is present with asymmetric facet joint hypertrophy and mild reactive marrow edema to the left facet joint at C3-C4. subsequent to moderate foraminal encroachment present on the left.
C4-C5: A subtle annular bulge is present. which flattens the thecal sac anteriorly and mild central canal narrowing with AP diameter of the central canal at 10 mm.
C5-C6: A mild, annular bulge with small marginal osteophyte is seen. which flattens the thecal sac anteriorly with moderate central canal narrowing with AP diameter of the central canal at 9 mm and mild uncovertebral joint hypertrophy bilaterally.
C6-C7: A small, left paracentral annular bulge is present. which flattens the thecal sac anteriorly creating mild central canal narrowing with AP diameter of the central canal at 10 mm and mild narro\ving of the left exiting foramina.
C7-Tl: The C7-Tl disk is within nom1allimits.
IMPRESSION:
I. LEFT PARACENTRAL ANNULAR BULGE WITH ASYMMETRIC FACET JOINT
HYPERTROPHY AND FLUID TO THE LEFT FACET JOINT AT THE C3-C4 LEVEL WITH SUBSEQUENT MODERATE FORAMINAL STENOSIS ON THE LEFT. THIS MA Y REPRESENT DEGENERATIVE ARTHROPATHY OF THE LEFT FACET JOINT AND IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST. POSSIBLE CT OF TliE CERVICAL SPINE MA Y HELP FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF THIS FACET JOINT REGION,
2. A MILD ANNULAR BULGE AT C4-C5 WITH MILD CENTRAL CANAL NARROWING.
3. A MILD ANNULAR BULGE AT C5-C6 WITH MILD CENTRAL CANAL NARROWING
AND BORDERLINE FORAMrNAL ENCROACHMENT.
4. A LEFT PARACENTRAL ANNULAR BULGE, C6-C7 WITH MILD CENTRAL CANAL
NARROWING AND MILD NARROWING OF THE LEFT EXITING FORAMINA.
5. A FOCAL ASYMMETRY WITH SOFT TISSUE MASS WITHIN THE RIGHT SUBMANDIBULAR REGION, WHICH COULD BE AN ABNORMAL GROWTH OR HYPERTROPHY OF THE SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND OR POSSIBLY SURGERY ON THE LEFT SUBMANDIBULAR REGION AND CLINICAL CORRELATION WOULD BE OF BENEFIT.