Question
I am a 48 yr old female,I was in a car accident when I was 17 and hurt my neck and upper back. My lower back and hip is from having 4 big children and my back being out of alignment. I just learned to deal with the pain over the years and my headaches that the doctor told me was from stress,even though I didn't feel like I was stressing. Recently my upper back began to spasm and hurt so severly that I couldn't get out of bed. I began to hurt around to my ribs.I went to my doctor and initially he took an xray and said that I had arthritis all the way from my neck to lower back and gave me some medicine and told me to call this specialist. The problem was I couldn't get in to see him for 2 months because he was booked up. I eventually went back to my doctor in tears and said something else is wrong because I was in excrutiating pain. He sent me for an mri and physical therapy. When I got the results I found out that he had the mri of my lower back and not where I told him the pain was at. I asked him why and he wanted to argue where my pain was and said you have a problem there anyway. I said I know this but now because he has taken so long in finding out my neck and lower back are in terrible pain. I use to could tolerate them but not right now.It has been over a month and still no relief. He sent me to a pain management doctor and put me on disability for a month. That doctor sent me for an mri of my neck and middle back. I received the results but having trouble reading them. He wants to do shots first on my neck and then lower back. He doesn't want to excuse me from work even though most days I can hardly walk. He said if that doesn't work he will refer me to a surgeon. I have not had good luck with surgeons in my life. I need help in understanding the results. Please help. Here they are in the shortest form possible.
Incidental note is made of a small 2mm right paracentral disc protrusion at T9-10.Mild hydronephrosis of the cervical lordosis with its apex at C4. Small 3mm central protrusion at C6-7 just contacting the ventral cord.Mild degenerative cervical spondylosis at C4-5 and C5-6. Degerative disc disease also noted at C4-5. Mild disc bulge at C3-4.
Minimal spinal stenosis at the L2-3 level and L4-5 level.Moderate spinal stenosis at the L3-4 level with a 3mm central to right-sided disc protrusion, as well as a congenitally somewhat small spinal canal seen at this level. 3mm left lateral disc protrusion at the L5-S1 level causing mild left-sided neural foraminal stenosis. Degenerative facet joint disease as described.  

Answer
The MRI results say that you have some minor disc bulges in your neck, the area of your middle back, and your lower back. That's the protrusions.  There is some arthritis-type of changes in your neck - that's the degenerative disc disease, cervical spondylosis, degenerative facet joint disease.

There is a narrowing of the vertebra in your low back - that's the spinal stenosis.  It also says that the spinal canal (where the spinal cord is located) is smaller than normal in your lower back, probably since birth.  There is a disc bulging in your low back that is causing pressure on the nerves on the left at the end of your spine - that's the neural foraminal stenosis.   

I would agree with trying some therapy that is not as invasive as surgery.  Your physician is a much better judge of what treatments to use since he/she has all your medical records and films.

Thank you for your question, Doralie.  I hope that my answer helped you make some sense of the MRI report.