Question: Need help have an mri and need a spine specialist to decipher the radiologist report and why I continue to have back pain and want to know if its permanent damage. I am scared and I can walk sometimes it hurts and sometimes its doesn't. Im a 26 year old male that got hurt bending over 600 times and picking 20 pound brakes from a pile and twisting and turning and stacking them. I have the report. Please answer if your familiar with this type of injury (l5s1) bulging disc with tiny annular tear. mild ligament flavum etc.

the lumbar spine is in anatomic alignment. vertebral body heights are maintained. Theconus terminates at the t12 level and is grossly normal in signal intensity and morphology. Bone marrow is within normal limits.
l12:patent central canal neural foramina
l23:"
l34:"
l45"
L5s1:Chronic disc desiccation changes with anular disc bulging, slightly worse to the right with mild imprinting on the lateral root and lateral aspect of the right traversing nerve. Mild ligamentous hypertrophy noted with mild facet arthropath. There is a tiny annular tear at the midline withour significant canal stenosis.

Impression:
L5s1 disc disease with a tiny focal annular tear at the midline. No significant central canal stenosis. There is mild annular disc bulging that is more focal to the right posterolateral aspect, resulting in minimal imprinting of the right traversing root laterally.
Remaining lumbar disc levels appear intact.
No acute bony abnormalities. Alignment is anatomic.

I have pain when I get up from the floor where I sleep to an upright position. Is this naturally going to go away? Is this a herniated disc? Is a tiny anular tear a big deal? At the midline? Mild ligamentous hypertrophy is this permanent? My butt always feels sore when walking like I did squats but not glutes but lowback/top of but area, or sacrum area you can call it. I think its not muslcles but its the nerves.

Thanks

Doc,
Its been 7 months. I rehabbed conservatively by walking everyday on the track for the first 3 months. The first 2 weeks was the worst. Then I had an indian (I am indian by the way) massage lady come over to my house and rub I think my piriformis and straighten my spine somehow (don't remember). I thought it would go away but its been 7 months. Just got my mri last week if that helps. So a tiny annular tear, not that bad huh? And ligamentous flavum that is mild is that like really bad?

I self diagnosed myself so many times before I got the mri from piriformis to psoas problems etc. Stretching made it worse for obvious reasons because I just found out of the bulge.

Doc,
Please give me a some advise, I help others by volunteering my time and I need this back problem fixed. Can you give me statistics on my injury as far as recovery percent, will I be able to run again without a severe pain in my buttocks?

Took iboprufen for 1 week straight about a month ago, did not feel any pain, but I don't know if that was due to inflammation reduction or pain signal blockage. I don't think it would help discs or ligaments from bulging/inflammation. After I got off, it came back. Also, I noticed after my injury, my knees make clicking noises and when laying on my back and if I raise my right let straight up, it makes a noise, like a guitar noise. From your experience, do you know why?

My sypmtoms are not severe. Steroid injections, I don't know if that is more of a pain management thing but I don't need any pain management because I can handle hit. Is this a herniated disc? How do herniated/bulging discs go back in place? I don't know, its depressing to the point you almost want to cry because your legs are almost useless.

How about ice? And its been 7 months, is that normal?

Also, I had muscle spasms in my butt and right ribcage, but now appear gone for the time being.

Also,
Why is there so much popping noises in my knees? Like my body is misaligned or hips misaligned now. Has this disc problem caused other issues like these also? How?

Doc,
I have a feeling that your right and you hit the hammer on the head. I will keep you posted tomorrow, Im taking tylenol and going to bed. Good night.

Took tylenol 1 in morning and night last 2 days, when I take it and subsequent time (lasts about 12 hrs) I feel no pain. So I havent felt pain since last 2 days or any spasms in the buttock/low back area. Should I keep this up for a month? Will my body gain a tolerance to tylenol? Should I switch up to iboprufen every now and then?