Question
Hello - sorry in advance for the long write-up.  In my daily
life....I have mild pain down my right leg and into my right
heel.  More recently I have noticed that there is one spot
along my backbone which is painful to the touch (if I bend
over, it feels like a section is "sticking out" further than
the rest).  Lastly, I find that I can not stand for long
periods of time.  I had a series of MRIs completed and
results show...."mild disc desiccation at L5-S1 without disc
space narrowing or endplate edema."  Continues to state
"small broad-based central disc protrusion at L5-S1.....no
spinal stenosis."  Do the symptoms I am experiencing match
to the MRI results?  I have tried physical therapy, spinal
injections and chiropractor....but have not seem
improvements.  Any suggestions?  Lastly (and I am reaching
here), I have developed tinnitus.....again went to a series
of doctors and no resolution.  Could this be related to back
issues?  Thanks in advance - Ian

Answer
Ian,
  The pain you are experiencing down your legs does not seem to be totally related to your MRI results.  Your MRI says you have mild protrusion at L-5-S1, but without narrowing or spinal stenosis. What did you do in physical therapy and chiropractor?  I think your pain is related more to your gluts because with the spinal injections, if it was coming from the nerve root, the injections would have taken care of that.  How do you sleep?  That can cause some of these back problems and even the tinnitus you are experiencing.