After over 10 years of neck pain, headaches, arm and leg numbness and weakness, I finally convinced my primary care doctor to order an MRI of my cervical spine. Here are the findings on the report:
"Impression:
C4-5: Mild diffuse posterior osteophytic ridge/disc bulge mildly indenting ventral thecal sac. No spinal canal stenosis. Neural foramen are patent.
C5-6: Mild to moderate diffuse posterior osteophytic ridge/disc bulge moderately indenting ventral thecal sac. No spinal canal stenosis. Neural foramina are patent.
C6-7: Moderate diffuse posterior ostephytic ridge/disc bulge abutting the ventral surface of the cord. No spinal canal stenosis. Neuroforamina are patent.
Then there was an addendum (after the radiologist consulted with another radiologist):
Further review of the patient's MRI shows that the moderate sized osteophytic ridge/disk bulge at C6-7 results in mild flattening of the ventral surface of the cord and the size of the cord is mildly decreased in circumference when compared to the cord above and below the C6-7 disk level. This results in some mild compression on the ventral surface of the cord. This could be a manifestation of mild cord atrophy at C6-7."
So what does this mean? I'm scared half to death - especially of the atrophy. I sent the report to a neurosurgeon. The radiologist recommended seeing a neurologist... Which one should I see? Could this be the cause of all of my symptoms?
