MRI shows 5 disc bulges in lower back, how do I treat it and reduce pain?
I've been suffering with back pain for over a year now. In the past month it got worst and I've had to stop any activity that aggravates it like running.
L1/L2, L2/L3, L3/L4, L4/L5 and L5/S1 all have disc bulges
I'm 26 years old and male, I live a very active lifestyle and have a physical job so am quite worried about these findings.
How do I go about treating this, can I heal each bulge? Will it get progressively worst with age? And will I be able to do exercise like running in the future?
It is also very noticeable that I have quite a severe muscle imbalance with my left side of back being much bigger.
Will put the full MRI results here
Findings:
Standard sequences of the lumbar spine with an additional sagittal stir sequence.
Straightening of the lumbar lordosis. Vertebral body heights are maintained. No sinister marrow signal.
Normal imaged spinal cord and cauda equina. The conus terminates at T12/L1.
At L1/2 and L2/3, there are disc bulges causing mild indentation of the thecal sac. No neural compression.
At L3/4 there is a diffuse disc bulge causing mild indentation of the thecal sac. No neural compression.
At L4/5 there is early disc dehydration with a diffuse disc bulge causing slight bilateral exit foraminal narrowing. There
is also a central disc protrusion component containing a posterior annular tear. This does not cause any neural
compression.
At L5/S1 there is a diffuse disc bulge causing bilateral exit foraminal narrowing. Contact of the exiting nerve roots is
possible. No thecal sac indentation.