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What Does My CT Scan Test Of Back Indicate?
Question: Hi I had a CT Scan for my Back due to Lower Back pain from Past couple of weeks. Please advise what to do as I am in severe pain and doctor just gave me pain killers and told to exercise. The scan shows
L1/2
Shallow broad based posterior disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac without significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. No significant facet arthrosis is identified.
L2/3
No disc protrusion, spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. There is no significant facet arthrosis.
L3/4
There is a shallow broad based posterior annual disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac. No significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis is identified. There is no significant facet arthrosis.
L4/5
Shallow broad based posterior annular disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac without significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. No significant facet arthrosis is identified.
L5/S1
There is a shallow broad based posterior annular disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac and contacting the right descending S1 nerve root. This may represents a site of potential neural irritation. No significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis is identified. There is no significant facet arthrosis.
Impression
Multi level shallow broad based posterior annular disc bulges indenting the ventral thecal sac without significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. AT L5/S1 the disc contacts the right descending s1 nerve root with no convincing features of neural compression. Correlate with radiculopathic symptoms.
L1/2
Shallow broad based posterior disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac without significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. No significant facet arthrosis is identified.
L2/3
No disc protrusion, spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. There is no significant facet arthrosis.
L3/4
There is a shallow broad based posterior annual disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac. No significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis is identified. There is no significant facet arthrosis.
L4/5
Shallow broad based posterior annular disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac without significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. No significant facet arthrosis is identified.
L5/S1
There is a shallow broad based posterior annular disc bulge indenting the ventral thecal sac and contacting the right descending S1 nerve root. This may represents a site of potential neural irritation. No significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis is identified. There is no significant facet arthrosis.
Impression
Multi level shallow broad based posterior annular disc bulges indenting the ventral thecal sac without significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. AT L5/S1 the disc contacts the right descending s1 nerve root with no convincing features of neural compression. Correlate with radiculopathic symptoms.
Brief Answer:
As detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query and the reports you have posted so well.
Noted the findings well: multilevel shallow, broad based, posterior annular disc bulges *indenting thecal sac - no canal or forminal stenosis - At L5-S1 disc contacts descending S1 nerve root but no neural compression. To correlate with radiculopathy symptoms.
You have history of severe *lower back pain from Past couple of weeks, Doctor just gave you pain killers and told to exercise. Wants advise/second opinion.
Since you have not mentioned about any pain or weakness in the lower limbs, it may not be present.
If there are no symptoms in the lower limbs there is no need of any surgery for such findings.
But then the most important is the severe backache. The commonest cause is the muscles going into spasm.
Then there is a vicious cycle of pain > spasm > pain and spasms as each one increases the other.
At the same time the muscle supporting the low back can go into hypertrophy or stiffness and there is imbalance between the muscles on both the sides adding on to the problems.
Additional reason is that the lower back muscles are always acting unless one is in deep slumber sleep, hence there is practically no rest to the muscles.
Hence I would advise you the following:
- First of all to consult a XXXXXXX Physiotherapist as he wound understand all the points I have noted above and give you the exercises and physiotherapy in such a way that you will get a good and permanent relief.
- Continue the analgesics like Ibuprofen in proper dosage and at 8 hourly interval after some food to be really effective.
- Avoid all the movements that increase strain on the low back like bending and so on. Physiotherapist will assist you further in this regards too.
- Avoid constipation, coughing and such thing.
I hope this answers your query and gives you one of the best outline of how to get cured.
Wising you all the best.
As detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query and the reports you have posted so well.
Noted the findings well: multilevel shallow, broad based, posterior annular disc bulges *indenting thecal sac - no canal or forminal stenosis - At L5-S1 disc contacts descending S1 nerve root but no neural compression. To correlate with radiculopathy symptoms.
You have history of severe *lower back pain from Past couple of weeks, Doctor just gave you pain killers and told to exercise. Wants advise/second opinion.
Since you have not mentioned about any pain or weakness in the lower limbs, it may not be present.
If there are no symptoms in the lower limbs there is no need of any surgery for such findings.
But then the most important is the severe backache. The commonest cause is the muscles going into spasm.
Then there is a vicious cycle of pain > spasm > pain and spasms as each one increases the other.
At the same time the muscle supporting the low back can go into hypertrophy or stiffness and there is imbalance between the muscles on both the sides adding on to the problems.
Additional reason is that the lower back muscles are always acting unless one is in deep slumber sleep, hence there is practically no rest to the muscles.
Hence I would advise you the following:
- First of all to consult a XXXXXXX Physiotherapist as he wound understand all the points I have noted above and give you the exercises and physiotherapy in such a way that you will get a good and permanent relief.
- Continue the analgesics like Ibuprofen in proper dosage and at 8 hourly interval after some food to be really effective.
- Avoid all the movements that increase strain on the low back like bending and so on. Physiotherapist will assist you further in this regards too.
- Avoid constipation, coughing and such thing.
I hope this answers your query and gives you one of the best outline of how to get cured.
Wising you all the best.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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