I can explain the findings on the MRI but these must be correlated to your symptoms. Many times, there are findings on MRI that are irreverent.
“Focal posteromedial annular bulge indenting the thecal sac” is a disc posterior wall tear and a bulge of this wall. This bulge touches the sac which contains the nerves but does not compress the nerves.
“With mild facet joint hypertrophic changes” means the facet joints in the back of the vertebra have some degenerative changes.
“Mild to moderate right exit foraminal narrowing with an existing nerve irritation” simply means that the exit hole for the nerve root is narrowed. Irritation of the nerve can not reliably be seen on MRI so I am unclear why that was noted unless the nerve root is swollen but this radiologist does not say that.
“Moderate disc dessiccative changes” simply means the disc has lost water content and the disc appears darker on the images than normal.
All of these problems are explained in the website if you look under lumbar discs, facets and foraminal stenosis.
Dr. Corenman
