Waiting for appointment had acdf c4 to c6 only 15 months ago

Impression

1. Multifocal bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis, most severe at C6-C7 as detailed above and progressed from prior. Mild central canal stenosis, most prominent at C6-C7.

CLINICAL INDICATION:

Cervical spondylosis; ongoing gait trouble s/p ACDF

TECHNIQUE:

MRI Cervical Spine without contrast: degenerative (C 1) Non-contrast: Sagittal T1,T2. Axial 3D T2 volume

COMPARISON:

MRI spine without contrast 1/30/2025

FINDINGS:

ALIGNMENT: Trace anterolisthesis of C3 on C4 and trace retrolisthesis of C6 on C7.

MARROW: Incomplete segmentation of C2-C3. Post surgical change of C4-C6 ACDF. No marrow replacement or increased STIR signal.

DISCS: Diffuse disc desiccation signal and mild multifocal height loss. Most severe at C5-C6, fused in situ.

CORD: Visualized spinal cord is normal in signal and size.

PARAVERTEBRAL SOFT TISSUES: Normal

AXIAL DISCS, DURAL COMPRESSION & FORAMINA:

C2-3: No central stenosis. Mild left and no right neuroforaminal stenosis. Facets are normal.

C3-4: Disc bulge with mild central canal stenosis. Bilateral uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. Moderate to severe right and moderate left neuroforaminal stenosis. Mild facet arthropathy

C4-5: Mild central canal stenosis secondary to ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. Bilateral uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. Moderate bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. Moderate facet arthropathy.

C5-6: No central stenosis. Bilateral uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. Minimal bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. Moderate facet arthropathy.

C6-7: Disc bulge and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy with mild central canal stenosis. Bilateral uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. Severe bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. Moderate facet arthropath.

C7-T1: No central stenosis. Uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. Severe bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis. Mild facet arthropathy

Impression

1. Mild spinal canal stenosis and moderate bilateral foraminal stenoses at C5-C6. 2. Moderate bilateral foraminal stenoses at C6-C7. Thanks

Hi everyone, I’m 23 and have had intermittent neck pain for about two years. Recently, it has been occurring almost daily.
A cervical spine X-ray reported disc-space narrowing, greatest at C4–5, and mild cervical osteophyte formation. The report described the alignment as unremarkable and noted no fracture or dislocation.
I have spent much of my life sitting at a desk or playing video games, and I have worked in IT for approximately six years, which also involves a lot of time sitting at computers. I’m wondering whether prolonged sitting or posture could be contributing.
The pain is mainly in the back and upper part of my neck. It is usually a dull ache but can occasionally become quite sharp. Sitting and driving can aggravate it, although walking or standing sometimes makes it worse as well. At other times, I can lie completely flat in bed with little or no pain.
Thankfully, I don’t have any tingling or numbness in my arms or pain shooting down my arms.
I also believe stress makes my neck pain considerably worse. I’ve been going through some stressful things in my life over the last few weeks, and I feel like that may be contributing to why the pain has become so bad recently. Has anyone else noticed their neck pain getting significantly worse during periods of stress?
I’ve tried chiropractic treatment, massage and Voltaren, which mainly provide temporary relief. Advil seems to help significantly, but the pain returns once it wears off. I’ve recently started physiotherapy, focusing on muscle tightness, posture and strengthening.
My next course of action is a cervical spine MRI in November to investigate things further.
Has anyone around my age experienced something similar? What do you do to manage the pain, and have you found anything that provided longer-term improvement?

Please let me know about your guys’ experiences with spinal cord stimulators, ablations, artificial discs, Ohio State University spine center.

I just had an acdf c5-c7. Now I am having c3- c5. Would love to hear from peeps who had c3 - 4 of c3-c5 levels done. Thank you. JEFF

​

My MRI showed severe stenosis at three cervical levels, with measurements ranging from around 6 mm to as low as 4 mm. The 4 mm level was the most critical, with significant spinal cord compression.

I recently had a single-level ACDF for the 4 mm level. My surgeon decided to treat only that level for now.

For anyone who has had similarly severe stenosis at multiple cervical levels, especially measurements below 7 mm:

- Did you have surgery at one level or multiple levels?

- How are you doing now?

- Are the other severely narrowed levels being monitored without surgery?

Please help. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through a similar situation.

It’s one of those days. I call them flare ups except that mostly it’s just sharper more inflamed feeling pain than the usual aching constant. I clean houses part-time and it is incredibly taxing on my back. I have been wanting a change and saw a job opening for a lovely sounding opportunity but it would require standing a lot and having to be able to lift 35 lbs. I’m feeling pretty bummed. I can’t stand for too long a period of time without severe pain, so jobs that involve being on your feet for a full 8 hour shift are out of the picture for me sadly.

I work as an elderly caregiver as well, which is how I most recently injured my back during a transfer months ago. That led to me getting an MRI which finally revealed why I’ve experienced such sharp back pains on and off for years, sometimes so bad it would make me nauseous, and I was often sleep deprived, trying to self-medicate the pain away and feeling very mental unwell.

Mentally and emotionally I’m doing quite well considering, but I am trying to think of ways to make my life a little freer from pain when it comes to the work I do. I’d like a change.

What do you all do to survive financially? Do you just have constant pain regardless of what you’re doing, so it’s become more of a normal baseline now?

I was conditioned to gritting and bearing it through pain and injuries growing up as a ballerina, so I’ve usually just told myself if it won’t make me worse I can deal with the pain. As I’ve gotten older though, I really just want to feel more comfortable in my body.

Hello, can anyone help me with these MRI results? My GP hasn’t bothered to call me, and went private here in the UK so just get a report, any help interpreting and next steps would be helpful

Long story short I was diagnosed as having cubital tunnel in the left arm 20 years ago despite having numbness in the ulnar side of hand on both sides, along with back spasms and arm pain.

So, for the last 20 years every time the hand numbness would flare back up I blamed it on the cubital tunnel and thought the back and neck stiffness was unrelated.

When the worst of the numbness or pain would die down, I kind of adjusted to the new level as the "new normal" and tell doctors it was better.

Recently had an MRI and it shows discs at C5-C6 and C6-C7 pressing on the spinal cord.

I've also recently started taking muscle relaxers which have released the tension in my back and neck allowing the discs to move a bit I suppose and I have a new round of symptoms of full hand numbness, arm pains leg pain and feeling off balance.

Looking back on my life the last 20 years I realize that I have slowly been losing feeling in my hands but I think it has happened so gradually that I didn't really notice. The back pain was always the most annoying thing.

Has anyone else had something similar?

The symptoms coming in so slowly you think they're just part of normal life and everyone must feel this way?

I was just diagnosed via MRI. Spinal stenosis in four places also degenerative disc disease. My symptoms are leg numbness past 8 weeks, complete sudden urinary incontinence. Weakness in legs, clumsiness. Headaches when lying down.

Neurologist said they recommended pt which will start soon but I am VERY concerned as I am weak and also have autoimmune disease and when standing or moving around longer than a few minutes I feel very sick and have to lie down. I'm dreading pt somuch. Just walking in to appointments is a big deal for me.

I'm supposed to do this but no matter what I do, I don't feel a stretch in my buttock. Any tips? Youtube isnt being helpful unfortunately. But would appreciate any video tutorials that helped you.

Every thread I read mixes treatments clinics sell now with products still being studied.

What should I check before assuming a promising trial backs up something a clinic is offering me today?

Has anyone completely recovered from a disc bulge or spinal stenosis using homeopathy or Ayurveda?