I am 37-year-old female. I had a two-level open discectomy and hemalaminectomy at L4/5 and L5/S1 in Feb. 2003, when I was 31, due to severely herniated discs that were not responding to months of physical therapy, and got to the point where I coudln't even bend my toes in my left leg. A few weeks ago I started having a great deal of pain in my lower back only. (Before my 2003 surgery I didn't have any back pain at all, just leg pain.) I had a new MRI done and the doctor said I will most likely need a two-level fusion now, but was willing to let me try some physical therapy to see if I responded. I've had three PT session so far, and I do think it is helping a little bit. But I was reading my MRI report which noted that L4/5 is herniated on the right and central. I did some reading online about this and saw that central herniations are rare?
My MRI report reads:
1. Large focal and central and right paracentral disc protrusion at L4-5. This exhibits significant mass effect and deformity upon the thecal sac as well as the abutment of the emerging right L5 nerve root.
2. Moderate-sized diffuse concentric disc bulge at L5-S1. This causes mass effect of the ventral epidural space with contact of the ventral thecal sac adn bilateral S1 nerve roots.
3. L5-S1 left hemilamictomy noted. There is no canal stenosis.
4. No compression fracture or spondyloisthesis.
I never knew discs could be centrally herniated and am not even really sure what that means. Is that worse than other types of herniation?
Does anyone have an advice?
Thanks so much!