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Is the lower spine supposed to curve to the right when your're looking at an x-ray?

I have Fibromyalgia, RSD, myofacial pain syndrome, and chronic upper back pain. However, my ortho dr had me get a bone scan to see if anything else was wrong with my back since I always have severe chronic upper and middle back pain. Well he showed me the images today on the bonescan and my spine was straight from the top and the middle but at the bottom of the spine, it curved alot to the right. He wants me to get an MRI now to see what if anything is wrong. But is that not normal for the spine to curve to the right like that at the end? If not, does anyone know what that means or what that indicates I have?
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356518 tn?1322263642
It depends on the amount of curve that's involved. The MRI will show a much more clear picture and give the doctor a better idea of what your dealing with.
Please let us know how the MRI turns out and how your doing. if you have any further questions feel free to ask and we will help all we can:)
Helpful - 0
547368 tn?1440541785
Hi,
It's good to hear from you but sorry that you are still having pain.

Our spines are suppose to be "straight" but some ppl are born with curvatures that are normal for them. Others develop them based on posture, disease, injury or aging.

Curvatures can be symptomatic or causes no problems what so ever and only show if an imaging is done. As Sandee said the MRI will provide better answers for you. At this point I would not be overly concerned.

Remember that our body is designed to function as a whole. Sometimes when one structure is "off" it effects another structure or another portion of the structure. It may be that your lower spine curvature is effecting how the upper portion of your spine functions. It may not, only a good physician will be able to determine how it all fits together for you.  Please let us know the results of your MRI and the conclusion of your physician draws when all the results are in.

Good Luck to You,
Tuck
Helpful - 0
230262 tn?1316645934
have you ever had any other x-rays done of your spine in the past? it would be a good tool to compare them to see if it has changed. I have a lot of different things wrong with my back (DDD, bulging discs, arthritis of spine, mild scoliosis) and one of the times they took my x-ray at the ortho, the dr told me i had very bad scoliosis (I dont) but i was having a bad back attack at the time and my muscles were locked in such spasms it actually forced my spine to move out of normal position!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for all your answers and help. I get my MRI tomorrow but I can't see the dr to get the results for 3 weeks from now unfortunately. However, when I know what he says I will tell you all. Thanks for wanting to know and keep up with me. One other thing my dr said was abnormal about my scan is that I had inflamation around my pelvis and sacrial joints so he is getting the MRI on three different areas(Thoracic, Cervical, and Pelvis including the sacriolic joints) or something like that-don't know if I said that last one right.

I was really surprised by those areas being abnormal bc and that's so weird to me bc out of my whole body I have the least amount of pain in my pelvis, and my lower back where the curve was is the least painful area of my back. Most of the severe pain in my back is in the upper and middle back as well as the neck and shoulders. But he said he wanted to get an MRI of those areas since he wants to find out why the bone scan shows that and what it means. I'm trying not to be scared that something's wrong bc I can't do anything about it right now but it's kind of on my mind.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The only thing I've had imaging wise to my back was I got just a plain x-ray done a couple months ago of just my thoracic spine I think by my GP and he said it was normal. That's why I wasn't ready for what was said at this apt about how my spine looked and I don't know what the heck the thing about the pelvis meant. It amazes me that bc of the severe pain I've felt for so long in my upper and middle back and neck and shoulders that no dr has ever taken x-rays nor gotten MRI's of these areas. They all just want to use the Fibromyalgia card and blame it on that or the RSD which it probably is. It would just make me feel better to know its not anything else like a bulging disk or something else making my back, etc hurt so bad.
Helpful - 0
547368 tn?1440541785
If you have an abnormality in one part of your spine it can effect another part. I apologize if I am, not making any sense or am I not saying it clearly?  

Maybe this is a poor example but you can wear bad fitting or poor supporting shoes and your back hurts. So we see our PCP because we have back pain. Once we get proper fitting shoes our backache goes away.

Here's another example. I have SIJ (sacroiliac joint) Dysfunction. In the early years of the condition I had little SIJ pain but had a lot of leg and hip pain and some low back pain. So no physician could figure out what my symptoms met. I wasn't taken seriously.  As time progressed the classic sign of SIJ Dysfunction became more defined. Once all my symptoms appeared I was diagnosed. The SIJ still causes a lot of leg, low back and hip pain. There is nothing wrong with my back or leg but that is where I often feel the most pain.

Your upper back pain could be a similar situation. That's just my opinion and may be incorrect. But in my experience it is not uncommon.

You should not have to wait three weeks for the results of your MRI. Request that a copy of the results be mailed to you and/or that your physician or his nurse also call you with the results. My PCP never makes me wait until my next appointment for testing results. I always get a call form her nurse. If it is serious I am asked to come in and I am seen earlier than my appointment date.

Thanks for the update. We will look forward to hearing from you again.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I know what you're saying about one area being off can cause pain in another area bc of that. I don't know why but this dr (my ortho that did the bone scan and now these 3 MRI's today) always makes me make an apt. to come in and get my results of whatever test he has done on me. I don't like that bc that means I have to wait until my next apt to see what the results are. My primary care dr always just calls me on the phone after he gets the results and I don't have to make another apt and come in maybe weeks later. So I hate having to wait so long but he only is at the office I see him at on Tuesdays and he was all booked up until the end of the month(3 weeks after the MRI's) which is why I have to wait until then to get the results. I'm trying not to think about it but I really want to know if it told him anything new and hope that nothing else is wrong.
Helpful - 0
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