Often times you see your doctor and he or she may review your MRI with you but sometimes they don’t. This of course may leave you very curious. Even if you did understand some of the report or had someone review it with you here are some common things you can possibly see.
An MRI is an ordered most often if your doctor suspects a disc injury. So here’s what you might see:
A normal study or unremarkable- means everything is within normal limits
Spondylosis- this describes degeneration or arthritis
Disc Bulge- the inner part of the disc (nucleus) presses out against the outer disc (annulus)
Disc Protrusion- in other words a disc herniation; this is when the nucleus pushes through the annulus
Stenosis- closure of the spinal canal or neural foramen
Now what does this look like if you have the actual films?
For an MRI they will look at multiple slices of the spine from the side and then a view of slices from the top to bottom. So therefore you can see the spine and discs completely.
On the lateral view of the spine you can visualize the spine and discs (there will be a T1 set of images and a T2 set) this just means that the colors are slightly different. You’ll see the disc in between each vertebrae. Each disc is between the cervical vertebrae C2 and C7 and should stay in those margins. If disc material looks like it is posterior to vertebral margins it’s most likely bulged or protruded out.
Then you can look at the pictures of the spine with cross sections taken so you can see vertebrae and discs from top to bottom. Here you can see if disc material is bulging or herniated out and where it’s happening.
A central bulge or herniation is when it comes straight backward. This can often put pressure on nerve roots of both sides which may give bilateral symptoms.
A disc may also be more one sided. This would often read as a left or right posterolateral protrusion. Then they will tell you if it actually shows contact with the nerve root. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.
Either way the discs are dynamic, meaning they can change. Disc injuries can heal or recede. Consult your doctor, surgical intervention is for worst case scenarios.
Additional Reading Resources:
- Cervical Radiculopathy? How Your Doctor will determine the nature of your arm and neck pain
- Arc4life Cervical Traction Neck Pillow for a Disc Herniation
- Neck Traction for a military neck
- How Can I Avoid Restraining my Neck?
- Herniated Disc in the Neck- treatment options
