need help reading mri

[cindys65]

I have been having back pain and siatica pain since I hurt myself at work.  I cannot preform my job duties.  I am a cena..  I had a MRI done but do not Know what it means.
At l1-l2 disc level, mild bulging disc with small focal central herniated disc indenting anterior margin of thecal sac. No evidence of central spinal stenosis or encroachment upon neuroforamina.
Disc desiccation involving l4-l5 and l5-s1 disc. No focal herniated or significant bulging disc seen.  No evidence of central spinal stenosis or encroachment upon neuroforamina.

[shorty6foot3]

I have read down through the post throughout this column,  to briefly explain my situation ,  I had c5-6 herniated disc surgery.. The pain I was in previous to surgery was mind blowing to say the least ,  from hands to shoulder blade, with numbness from tricep, forearm, thumb and all fingers but pinky. Here I sit , 90 days post surgery, wondering if I will ever get the feeling back in my fore finger and thumb, I still undergo moments of intense pain in my forearm and wrist.
My major fear is that I will be stuck on this LYRICA 150's the rest of my life, and popping hydromorphine HCI when I have one of these flare ups. I'm a fair sized lad , and these hydro's knock me stupid by times ,  therefore , rendering me unable to operate a vehicle , construction equipment for work etc, when i'm finally allowed to return.
please tell me i'm gonna get better , someone , please :(, at my wits end  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
Disc desiccation is an age related process which may develop early in some. Disc bulge can occur due to injury and a pressure on the thecal sac (around the spinal cord) can cause pain. Usually this is managed conservatively. The treatment is a combination of pain killers, muscle relaxants, physiotherapy, manual therapy, hydrotherapy, and exercise. Most people respond to this. You could wear a lumbo-scaral corset while you are up and about. Do discuss this with your doctor. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.