just got my x-ray report and don't know what neuroforamina appear

[fed-up]

patent bilaterally means

Findings:
There is minimal loss of the cervical lordosis.

I do understand "degenerative change is seen within the cervical spine with intervertebral disc space narrowing at the C5-6 and C6-7 levels."

The neuroforamina appear patent bilaterally. Paravertebral soft tissues appear unremarkable.

Impression:

degenerative changes with intervertebral disc space narrowing at the C5-6 and C6-7 levels.



Why can't these guys write in plain English???? My doctor's appointment is next Thursday and I will be starting process of applying for disability depending on what the doctor recommends and what the above means.

I do know that I can't lift heavy things, sit for too long at the computer or in a chair or stand too long or do any of the heavy labor tasks I used to be able to do without something pinching in my neck and then enduring severe pain and spasming. Yes, I thought I was superwoman...and was a caregiver for my hemi-plegic mom (I think 3 years of transfers and lifting may have done me in) and prior to that a family daycare provider.

[Fridays Child]

1. Not a doc but I think it means the little spaces where the nerves exit the spine are okay.

Check with your doctor to be sure.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. I think you are correct.

Neural pertains to the spine

Foramen (singular of foramina) means aperture

Patent bilaterally means both are open.

[fed-up]

4. just went to dictionary dot com for patent and found this

so I guess it means something is not blocked and since there was no mention in the "impression" it must mean that it is okay

adj.
Protected or conferred by a patent or letters patent: a patent right.
Of, relating to, or dealing in patents: patent law.
Not blocked; open.
Spreading open; expanded.
also (p?t'nt) Obvious; plain. See Synonyms at apparent.
(p?t'nt) Biology
Not blocked; open.
Spreading open; expanded.
Of, relating to, or being a nonprescription drug or other medical preparation that is often protected by a trademark.
Of high quality. Used of flour.
also (p?t'nt) Archaic Open to general inspection. Used especially of documents.




too bad our government is not "patent" (see last definition)

[HereSince1628]

2. Why? Because that's how they can claim the big bucks

and because, plain English isn't especially precise.

My SO beats me up all the time because when I answer my son's questions about embryology I sound like a biologist. Sometimes, using anatomy-speak you just can't win.

[kestrel91316]

6. Wrong. Using correct medical terminology is the ONLY

appropriate way for doctors to communicate with each other. The terminology exists for purposes of clarity. Specific words have specific meanings.

Your personal physician is responsible for explaining the radiology report to you in plain English. It would be highly inappropriate for a radiologist to issue a medical report in plain english.

Making "big bucks" has nothing to do with it. If I were a physician I'd be really offended by that insinuation.

[fed-up]

8. most of it I understood, it was just the use of the word patent-I should have

gone to dictionary dot com first.

I do wonder why they didn't quantify the degenerative changes/narrowing as it seems that information would be useful to my doctor.

Or maybe it is because an x-ray doesn't give that clear of a picture. I have been told that I should have an MRI done at a cost of about $650 to really find out what is going on. I was first diagnosed with degenerative disc disease back in 1999, but starting in April of last year I started having "migraine auoras' without the headache and am somewhat worried about what damage is being done to nerves to cause that recent development.

I know one year is a long time to wait, but I was in the middle of a meltdown while I got my home ready for sale and bought down/moved due to being caught in the housing bubble/subprime rate increase/disaster. Now that all that is taken care of I can take care of my health.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Correct medical terminology is INTERNATIONAL. If you ever go to the hospital

in a country where English is not the native language, you will be very, very grateful for this.

It may be a pain for doctors everywhere to learn Latin and Greek medical terminology, but it simplifies in more important ways than it complicates.

[kestrel91316]

11. Very good point. I once had a patient from Quebec with serious

issues and it sure was nice to be able to decipher the medical records in spite of the liberal use of French.

Medical terms have Latin roots, and so does French.

[HereSince1628]

13. I don't think I implied it wasn't correct or appropriate.

and makes it possible to recognize sarcasm.

I didn't even say they wrongly earned bigger bucks than others.

But I do believe its not completely a joke. Physicians' capacity to communicate their erudition is actually a large part of what makes doctors well paid. It reflects both what they know and their ability to communicate what they know to the service of useful ends.

The development of both specialized skills and specialized language go hand in hand. That's a well known pattern of linguistic progression. Discipline dependent vocabularly is virtually a semiotic sine qua non by which people recognize specialization. We find it in baseball commentary, stock-trading, plumbing, horse-shoeing as well as medicine. Special language is not just a jargony secret language that keeps us separated from them (although I'm suspect of the motivations for nomenclature coined by Microsoft employees) but it also reflects (though not unambiguously--considering how quackery subverts medical sounding language) their knowledge and capacity to identify narrow disparities among objects and concepts required by those we recognize as experts.

And so, considering the MCAT and the education taken in preparation of that admission test, it seems to follow that without the capacity to acquire through education the use of special language, individuals aren't even admitted to medical schools. Without that schooling they will not aquire the specialized language ability required for the licensing and practice of medicine. They would have no access to the salaries they recieve--which is to say their ability to understand and communicate their erudition is why they make the big bucks.

[fed-up]

5. now to wait and see if doc interprets this as "disabling"/then the wait for SS's determination nt

[skooooo]

7. Ask them to explain...

Personally, I wouldn't want a doctor who didn't give reports in scientific language.

[Autumn Colors]

12. Then you don't want ANY doctor....

Because all medical reports use this type of terminology. I've been doing medical transcription for years in many specialties and it all looks like this and I see nothing out of the ordinary as far as the kind of the terminology used by whoever dictated the report.

The report the original poster has was meant for a physician to read. HIPAA laws require that patients can get a copy of their medical records. It doesn't mean they will understand them. It's up to the doctor to explain in layman's terms.

[skooooo]

15. That's what I'm saying....

I wouldn't want it if something other than medical terminology was used. That's what a medical report is.

[Autumn Colors]

10. I used to do medical transcription for a neurosurgeon

I am NOT a doctor, but I can tell you in general what that means.

"The neuroforamina appear patent bilaterally."

This is good. Patent means the pathways are open and clear. Bilaterally means on both sides.

Foramina is the pleural of the word "foramen" which means opening/orifice and neuro on the beginning just specifies that these pertain to the neural system.

"Paravertebral soft tissues appear unremarkable."

When a doctor says "unremarkable" that means "normal".

"There is minimal loss of the cervical lordosis."

This means minimal curvature (like scoliosis) in the cervical spine (neck area).

The narrowing at C5-C6 is in the neck area, too.

I don't know what the treatment would be for this, though.

This may sound wacky, but when I was in acting training, I took a class in Alexander technique. This was originally developed as a way for actors to maintain posture and relax the body so they could use their voices properly and not injure themselves if portraying physical defects long term for performances (i.e. hunched back, limp, etc). A side benefit for me was that this can help with a lot of back and neck problems and has helped me A LOT with being able to do computer work for long hours.

The one thing that helped my neck specifically was that I became aware that when I was tense, I was hunching my shoulders up. I never noticed it before. If by chance you find yourself doing that, consciously push your shoulders down and relax them. I also have to periodically pay attention to if I'm sitting up straight, too. Just doing those two things regularly and correcting them have helped a LOT.

Good luck. I hope this eases your mind a bit about the parts you couldn't understand.

[fed-up]

14. thanks-I have a friend that taught Alexander technique and she taught me a few things like

the imaginary string holding my head up.

Believe me, being in constant pain keeps me aware that I must do all I can to relax tense muscles. I also make great use of pillows when driving, sitting, sleeping etc. Proper support can do wonders and my birkenstocks that I have found at garage sales also take many pounds of pressure off my back. I also make sure to rotate any activity I am doing, even resting, getting up every ten to fifteen minutes, so that my muscles don't "lock up" or get over strained. I have a very low threshold for meds and would rather suffer than feel dopey/drugged all the time.

[Autumn Colors]

16. Another suggestion some may think wacky

When I had problems with neck and arm pain in the past, I tried acupuncture. I can't say if it was a result of mind over matter or not, but I know other people who have had other things helped with that (people who thought it was complete nonsense before trying it, too).

I did three sessions. After the first session, I went home and threw up. I think it was because the thought that I had just had a bunch of pins sticking in my head and neck was grossing me out too much. The next two sessions were fine.

Some health insurance plans cover acupuncture now, so you might want to check into it.

You may end up finding that the only way to really fix the problem once and for all is with surgery.