Few things create more anxiety than reading your own MRI report. Words like 'degeneration', 'bulge' and 'compression' sound alarming — yet many of these findings are common, age-related and entirely unrelated to your pain. This guide translates the most frequent terms into plain language so you walk into your consultation informed, not frightened.
Bulge, protrusion, extrusion — the disc spectrum
These terms describe how far disc material has moved beyond its normal boundary. A bulge is a broad, usually mild extension of the disc — extremely common with age and often symptom-free. A protrusion is a more focal outpouching; an extrusion means the inner disc material has pushed further out, sometimes with a free (sequestrated) fragment. Larger displacement is more likely to touch a nerve, but the correlation with pain is far from absolute.
Stenosis: canal, lateral recess and foraminal
'Stenosis' simply means narrowing. Canal stenosis refers to the central spinal canal; lateral recess and foraminal stenosis refer to the side corridors where individual nerve roots exit. Reports grade severity as mild, moderate or severe. Symptoms — like leg pain on walking that eases when you sit — matter more than the grade in isolation.
Degeneration, Modic changes and other common terms
'Degenerative disc disease' is not truly a disease — it describes normal age-related wear, present in most adults over 40, painful or not. Modic changes describe signal changes in the bone next to a worn disc. 'Facet arthropathy' means arthritis of the small joints of the spine. 'Spondylolisthesis' means one vertebra has slipped forward over another, graded by how far.
Why the scan is not the whole story
Large studies have shown that many people with zero pain have disc bulges, protrusions and degeneration on MRI. This is why a report should never be interpreted alone: the findings must match your symptoms and your neurological examination before they explain anything. Treating a scan instead of a patient is one of the commonest paths to unnecessary spine surgery.
What to do with your report
Bring your films or CD and the report to your consultation — not just the summary line. If you would like an opinion before travelling, you can use the 'Send MRI for Review' option on this website for a preliminary review by Dr. Arun Reddy M. A careful history and examination alongside the images is what produces an accurate, personalised plan.
Key takeaways
- Most MRI 'abnormalities' are common, age-related and often painless.
- Severity grades matter only when they match your symptoms and examination.
- Never accept a surgery decision based on the scan alone.
Educational information only — not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.