Neck/Upper Back Problems - assistance interpreting the MRI?

[nymphfae]

During regular osteopathic treatment 18 months ago, I felt a pop to the right of my spine, near my right shoulder blade. I've had pain in that area and my neck ever since.

I’ll keep this short and explain a bit more below if you need more info.

I’ve recently seen a sports physician who reported:
"On examination she has some weakness of her C8 nerve roots & hyperflexia of the C6/7 reflex on the left. She has allodynia around her right shoulder girdle, particularly over her scapula. She is tender over her thoracic facets from around C4/5 through C7/8."

He sent me for an MRI of my cervical spine.

The results said:
Throughout the cervical spine, there is no focal disc protusion, cancal or foraminal stenosis. No nerve impingement.
There is minor C5/6 disc desiccation with mild posterior convexity of the disc causing minor thecal sac indentation.
Facet joints are preserved.
No cord lesion. The normal central canal of the spinal cord proper is demonstrated without syrinx formation.
Conclusion: No focal disc lesion or nerve impingement. No mass lesion.

What does this mean? Is there anything that could be causing the pain that I get? Is there anything I should/shouldn't do given these results? & are these results common in a 24 year old female?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[mrismen]

My husband has been suffering for neck pain since Feb. 2011. Was asked to take an MRI exam by an ortho doctor. Result of an MRI was stated below. Was advised by his surgeon to do surgery. At present we are now having sessions with  PTs for neck & lumbar traction and massages. We do not consider surgery at this time. I would like to ask for your opinion if we could still cure this thru conservative treatment. Please see below for your reference. I would gladly appreciate hearing for your advise on how to improve his situation / relieve him from  pain . Thank you in advance.
  
MRI – CERVICAL
1.        LARGE DISC PROTRUSION LEFT PARACENTRAL COMPRESSING THE LEFT NERVE
ROOT AS WELL AS INDENTING THE VENTRAL THECAL SAC AND CORD AT C5-6 LEVEL
2.        POSTERIOR DISC BULGES WITH CENTRAL DISC ANNULAR FISSURE FORMATION
AT C3-4, C4-5 AND C-7 LEVELS
3.        CENTRAL DSISC ANNULAR FISSURE FORMATIONS ARE NOTED AT THE C6,7, C4-5  , AND C3-4 LEVELS.
4.        STRAIGHTENING OF THE CERVICAL SPINAL CURVATURE IS NOTED
5.        THERE IS A DIMINUTION OF THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF THE C5, C6, & C7 AND T1 VERTEBRAE
6.        THE SPINAL CANAL AND EXIT FORAMINA ARE NARROWED
7.        THE LIGAMENTUM FLAVUM AND POSTERIOR LONGITUDINAL LIGAMENTS ARE NOT HYPERTROPHIC
8.        THE REST OF THE INTERVERTEBRAL DISC VERTEBRAE BODIES , PEDICLES, TRANSVERSE AND SPINOUSPROCESSES, ATLANTOOCCIPITAL, ATLANTOAXIAL, UNCOVERTEBRAL AND FACET JOINTS ARE UNREMARKABLE.
9.        THER ISNO EVIDENT COMPRESSION DEFORMITY NOR SPONDYLOLISTHESIS
10.     THE PRE AND PARASPINAL SOFT TISSUES ARE UNREMARKABLE.

MRI – LUMBOSACRAL SPINE
1.        LUMBOSACRAL SPINE IN MULTIPLANAR VIEWS WITH CONTRAST GD. DPTA INJECTION DEMONSTRATES SCHMORL’S NODE FORMATION AT L5,L4,L3 AND L2 VERTEBRAE
2.        THERE IS A SLIGHT DIMINUTION OF THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF THE L5,L4 AND L3 VERTEBRAE
3.        THE CONUS MEDULLARIS , CAUDAL ROOTS AND DISTAL CAUDAL SAC ARE INTACT
4.        THE SPINAL CANAL INCLUDING THE LATERAL RECESSES AND EXIT FORAMINA ARE NOT NARROWED
5.        THE LIGAMENTUM FLAFUM IS NOT HYPERTHROPHIC
6.        THE REST OF THE INTERBERTEBRAL DISCS, VERTEBRAL BODIES, PEDICLES LAMINAE , TRANSVERSE AND SPINOUS PROCESSES AND FACETS JOINTS ARE UNREMARKABLE
7.        THER IS NO EVIDENT SPONDYLOLISTHESIS
8.        THE PRE AND PARASPINAL SOFT TISSUES ARE UNREMAKABLE

[nymphfae]

Hi there.
I am still the same as I was when I posted this. I have been having physio again and it has not helped. My physio has recommended that I have the facet joint injections but I'm a little reluctant. Could you please advise what the MRI results mean?

[Abhijeet Ghosh]

Dear Friend,
How is the present condition. The point of concern is the hyper-flexia, you have mentioned.
Please confirm the present condition, as a continuation of this post, and i shall discus further.
Regards

[nymphfae]

After the initial incident occurred for approx 4-8 weeks I didn’t have full movement in my right arm (with pain down my arm, over my scapula, in my neck), with some tingling & odd sensations in my fingers. I had a migraine, with vomiting which lasted a week. I had a pain in my “anterior chest” which I could feel through to my back. I could not sleep lying down due to this pain, nor could I take deep breaths. I still occasionally have trouble with this.

My current problems are burning pain where he describes as “the lower medical margin of right scapula” with a sharp pain there when I push my shoulder blades together. Occasional tingling in my fingers on my right h&. Sometimes I get an electric shock feeling at the right side of my neck. Grabbing the muscle near my neck at the top of my right shoulder makes me feel the pain near my shoulder. My neck is sore to touch/press (R side) & when I tilt my head back it feels numb. If I sleep on my back, I wake up with a numb neck & head on the right side.

I have had physio, osteo, chiro, massage, myotherapy, medications, acupuncture & injections of local anaesthetic in my back – none has helped.

Also the sports physician wants to do injections in the facet joints of my thoracic spine but did not do an MRI of that. He told me that he had to do an MRI of my cervical spine based on his examination. He believes the pain near my shoulder blade is a facet joint & the only way to test that is through injections. I am not keen on that.