![]() ![]() The S1 nerve to the outside and bottom of the foot. The L5 nerve to the top of the foot and big toe. The L1 and L2 nerves tend to go to the groin region. The nerves go to specific regions of the leg. The back side of the spine is more bone called the lamina and spinous process. ![]() At each disc level, a nerve exits the spine and goes to a specific region of the leg. The spinal cord itself ends around the T12-L1 level, but the nerves continue down the lumbar spine as the cauda equina. Just behind the column of bones and discs is the sac which holds the nerves and fluid, called cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). This normal configuration is reported in the MRI report as both sagittal and axial depictions. Just below the lumbar spine is the sacrum so the bottom disc is called L5-S1. Therefore the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies are separated by the L4-5 disc. The vertebral bodies are usually labeled 1 through 5, and the discs are named by the bones above and below. The lumbar spine consists of bones (usually five vertebral bodies) stacked on top of each other and separated by five discs. If surgery eventually is required, surgery is intended to only fix the issues causing the symptoms and not to make your spine or MRI look perfect.īefore deciphering the abnormalities listed in the lumbar MRI report, it’s important to understand the normal anatomy. The spine specialist should review the actual images with you and answer any questions you have about your report. ![]() It’s imperative that you discuss the MRI report with a spine specialist to see which, if any, of these findings, are important and need to be addressed. Additionally, the severity of findings is very subjective and may differ between physicians. ![]() However all, none or some of these findings may explain your symptoms. Therefore the MRI report may mention many different findings or abnormalities, making patients feel like everything is wrong with their spine. The radiologist makes this report often without any consideration of the patient’s symptoms. What’s important to remember is that the report is made by a radiologist (a physician specifically trained to review these images) who reports everything observed. With the ease of internet access, self-diagnosis is very common. It’s pretty common nowadays for patients to receive their MRI report and most people read these reports and try to understand what is wrong. While we try to limit ordering MRIs for everyone with low back or leg pain until the symptoms are persistent for weeks to months, conservative options such as physical therapy have failed or weakness/ numbness develops, many people have MRIs. Regardless of the cause, the vast majority of people get better with just rest, time and over-the-counter medicines. Low back and leg pain can be caused by a spine problem such as a bone spur or disc herniation, but can also be caused by hip problems, pelvic problems, kidney problems, muscle problems or unknown reasons. Low back pain is one of the most common diseases in the United States. After the age of 60 years old, about 90% of people have at least a “degenerative disc.” Studies have shown that about 30% of completely pain-free (asymptomatic) people undergoing a lumbar MRI have abnormalities detected. As we get older, we all develop “changes” in our spines. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |