Cervical spinal stenosis/ flat on my back w/pain

[Pwalla]

I've had this MRI done below and my doc won' t let me get an epidural until I see a neurosurgeon. I have to wait 2 months. Meanwhile have had this pain for 2 1/2 months and can do activities for about an hour or two a day but then flat on my back the rest of the day with pain. Have had PT and acupuncture for several weeks now with no help.
Does this MRI look as bad as I feel and anyone have a clue what you think the neurosurgeon will say? I would appreciate any help!
CLINICAL HISTORY: 54-YEAR-OLD FEMALE WITH SEVERE RIGHT-SIDED   
RADICULAR PAIN.   
   
COMPARISON STUDY: NONE.   
   
TECHNIQUE: Using a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner, multiple imaging planes   
and sequences are obtained.   
   
FINDINGS: There is 2 mm of anterior spondylolisthesis of C7 on   
T1.  The remaining cervical alignment is normal.  There is loss   
of normal cervical lordosis.  There is no evidence of an acute   
fracture.  There are endplate degenerative changes at the C5-6,   
C6-7 and T2-T3 levels.  The posterior fossa and craniocervical   
junction are unremarkable.  The prevertebral soft tissues are   
unremarkable.  The cervical spinal cord is normal in size, shape   
and signal intensity.   
   
C2-3: There is no disc bulge or protrusion.  There is no spinal   
canal or neuroforaminal narrowing.   
   
C3-4: There is no disc bulge or protrusion.  There is no spinal   
canal narrowing.  There is mild right facet and uncovertebral   
hypertrophy with mild right neuroforaminal narrowing.   
   
C4-5: There is no disc bulge or protrusion.  There is no spinal   
canal or neuroforaminal narrowing.   
   
C5-6: There is disc degeneration with loss of disc height,   
endplate degenerative changes and marginal spurs.  There is a   
small posterior disc osteophyte complex.  There is mild   
ligamentum flavum hypertrophy.  There is moderate spinal canal   
stenosis measuring 7 mm in AP diameter with near complete   
effacement of the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the cord   
without cord compression or edema.  There is bilateral facet   
hypertrophy.  There is a 5 mm perineural cyst in the right   
neuroforamen.  There is moderate left neuroforaminal narrowing.   
There is mild right neuroforaminal narrowing.   
   
C6-7: There is disc degeneration with endplate degenerative   
changes and small marginal spurs.  There is a small posterior   
disc osteophyte complex and bilateral facet hypertrophy.  There   
is mild spinal canal narrowing measuring 9 mm in AP diameter   
without cord compression.  There is a bilobed 7 mm perineural   
cyst in the right neuroforamen.  There is no neuroforaminal   
narrowing.   
 
   
C7-T1: There is no disc bulge or protrusion.  There is disc   
degeneration with uncovering of the disc.  There is an 8 mm   
perineural cyst in the right neuroforamen.  There is no spinal   
canal or neuroforaminal narrowing.   
   
IMPRESSION:    
   
Moderate C5-6 spondylosis and mild ligamentum flavum hypertrophy   
causing moderate spinal canal stenosis without cord compression   
or edema.  Moderate left and mild right C5-6 neuroforaminal   
narrowing.   
   
Mild C6-7 spondylosis with mild spinal canal stenosis.   
   
 
 
 

[Pwalla]

Got in today on a cancellation with my neurosurgeon. He said he wants me on muscle relaxers and do moist heat 3x a day or more and do neck stretching excercises to get my muscles moving. He said the point they would have to do an epidural in my neck is way too risky and could cause possible stroke. So he basically said get up and moving. I thought if I'm on muscle relaxers they would probably just make me want to sleep alot. But will try what he said. He said check back in 6 weeks. If not better he would do surgery over an epidural. What is your opinion on this?
Thank you

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. You definitely have radiculopathy at C5-6 level causing the radicular pain. is the pain extending to the lower limb also? Since that indicates spinal canal stenosis. You would need an urgent decompressive surgery due to severe disc degeneration particularly at C5-6 level and even C6-7. I would not advise you to delay the management since this may progress to myelopathy, which is nerve dysfunction due to spine disorders varying from loss of sensation to paralysis of lower limbs and bowel and bladder function loss. You could be given NSAIDS, acupressure, hot fomentation, exercises under the guidance of a physiotherapist and epidural injection of steroids. Hope this helps. Take care.