MRI results Spine what does this mean in english

[EastofMS]

I have had very severe pain in rectum and vagina for 6 months. Cannot see spine doctor for another month. what does this summary mean. 57 year old woman 195 pounds 5'6" please!
IMPRESSION:
1. L4-L5 mild grade 1 retrolisthesis with a moderate central disc
extrusion/herniation with inferior migration into the left lateral recess
of L5 with impingement to the traversing left L5 nerve root, mild spinal
canal stenosis and moderate bilateral foraminal stenosis. 2. L5-S1 mild
leftward disc protrusion/herniation and facet arthropathy with moderate
to severe left foraminal stenosis. 3. L3-L4 mild to moderate left
foraminal disc protrusion/herniation with mild to moderate left foraminal
stenosis.

[EastofMS]

Thank you. This was very helpful to me.

[Tuckamore]

Hi EastofMS,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am sorry that you are having severe pain. We can relate.

I am not a physician and the following response should not be mistaken as medical advice or anything but my personal opinion and explanation. So that said let me try to explain this the way I understand it.

Physicians use a letter and number code to identify each of the 24 vertebrae in the spine. The low back officially begins with the lumbar (L) region of the spine directly below the cervical (C) and thoracic (T) regions and directly above the sacrum (S).

#1. L4-L5 is the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae.  A retrolisthesis means there is a posterior (situated behind or sometimes meaning backwards) displacement of one vertebral body with respect to the adjacent (the next) vertebrae. It is also showing an "impingement" of the L5 nerve, simply put the nerve is compressed or pinched. Stenosis means narrowing, so again simply put there is some narrowing seen in the spinal canal.

#2. L5-S1 the disc is mildly protruding (herniated). The joints in the spine are commonly called Facet Joints.These joints allow flexion (bend forward), extension (bend backward), and twisting motion. Atrophy means loss of mass. So the facet joints may have some degeneration.  Similar to spinal stenosis foraminal stenosis is singled out because it primarily will affect one or more vertebral foramen. The foramen is the opening where the nerve exits the spinal canal. So the opening where the nerve exits the spine is narrowed.

#3. This means that the disc between L3-L4 is mild to moderately protruding causing mild to moderate stenosis or narrowing. (see foraminal stenosis explained above.)

This all means pain! You have multiple reason to have significant pain. The pain you are experiencing is most likely related to the nerve impingement's. There are treatments for these conditions. Your surgeon will most likely offer the least invasive procedures first.

Good luck to you. Please let us know how you are doing. I will be out of state on vacation through Easter but others members will be on the board. I will look forward to your updates.
Take care, Tuck