I had a MRI today, it was a 1.5 Tesla, very small opening! I am still recovering from by elbow surgery, but managed to squeeze into it. It was a hot day, and even though that little opening in the MRI is air conditioned, it got about 90 degrees at one point! Good thing I am a meditator…
Just going over the images, wasn’t to much inflammation, some in the upper thoracic with the “STIR” series images…
I guess that I can safely say the main problem was a moderate/severe bulging disc that is pressing in on my spinal cord, I wonder if this can be the explanation for some of my woes? The give away that I had a bulging disc, the tech made a separate series titled “Bulging Disc”, how subtle… It did make the thecal sac of the spinal cord into a nice little heart…
So not much sign of central axis involvement, maybe the biologics are helping?
The MRI was ordered by my Pain Doctor, of course it was no claimed by insurance, so I had to pay $475 for it. I don’t think the Insurance Company likes me anymore, after the 6 week $4,500 payouts for biologics!
It sounds like the MRI was worth it as it appears to have given some definite answers by the sound of it. Bulging discs can be very painful and cause many differing problems, let’s hope they can help you sort it. Good that there does not seem to be any PSA involvement. I’m no expert just have both bulging discs and spinal PsA. I have a pacemaker though so can’t have an MRI they do make diagnosis of soft tissue and bone problems so much easier these days. Good luck and hope they get you sorted and more comfortable very soon, sorry I couldn’t add in anything more useful but just wanted to say hi and good luck …Anne
Thanks, yes it was worth it, now that I will have a Dx on the thoracic condition, I can get some sort of treatment. For years i have been trying to get this imaged, my spinal surgeon would not image it, as it is very difficult to impossible to do surgery on areas of the thoracic spine, due to the location and adjacent organs (guts) in the way! This was when my surgeon was reviewing the old images of the site, said “People get sore backs, then they eventually heal, yours will not heal”… You have to love the bedside manners of surgeons, I just looked at him with a big “Duh” look on my face…
As far as I can tell, the moderate/severe stenosis is around T7/T8 just below the heart, this would explain the costocondritis that I get that feels like a heart attack. Aso the STIR showed a lot of inflammation in the outer tissue around the bulge, going out into the muscles.
Well, Jon, it’s good to have answers, isn’t it?
I get severe stiffness in my middle back when I do housework such as vacuuming or sweeping. So much so that I can’t straiggten up easily the pain is very intense and it wraps around my sides, feeling like my ribs are rubbing together.
My rheumy ordered an MRI on my lumbar spine for my weak legs (to check for stenosis in that area). Now I’m thinking I should ask for MRI of my thoracic spine too…I’ve been wondering if the pain and stiffness is in my muscles, and that makes sense from what you said it possibly radiates out from the problems in your spine. I also get chest pain that resembles heart pain, and since I’ve already had a heart attack, it would be good to know for sure the pain isn’t my heart.
Anyway, I hope you can do P.T. to help fix your thoracic spine.
I also had a CT and MRI of my chest, it showed erosion of the clavical bones, and inflammation probably due to enthesitis, this was a couple of years ago, before starting biologics. I have had thoracic pain for about 35 years now, My posterial muscles were always tense, until I started DMARD’s. The bulging disc might even go back to when I was 18, I was laying on the grass and someone fell on my back. Never got it checked out…
So all of the above!
Shots and PT might do the ticket!
So, I would say go for the MRI, they don’t like to order it, because not much will help the Thoracic spinal problems.
PS That is when my upper back pain happens, doing the same kind of activity, or even something like doing my laundry. (Once a month!)
Looking at the Gradient Echo sequences of the MRI shows a lot of inflammation at the upper back between the shoulder blades. Unfortunately the image program keeps crashing, so I can’t capture the images… Kind of a neat sequence, shows a lot of tissue detail.
The Radiologist probably won’t even look at it… 
So far I count 11 out of 12 bulging discs, no wonder they made a series on it, it should read “Bulging Disc(s) but I guess that would have given it away.
I wonder what that spot is at the base of my brain? Maybe a happy thought?
The bulging disc made a nice little heart in my spinal cord… 
@Jon_sparky on my gosh! God bless you! I’m in a lot of pain the majority of days. I can imagine what you’re going through. Praying for you and that you get the care and medication or treatment you need!
Has anyone heard of a connection between connective tissue disease and cerebrospinal fluid leaks? They mentioned it in one article, that they suspect it might weaken the membrane in the brain and thecal sac.