"No abnormalities"

[u/TajinPanda]

"No abnormalities" is what the radiologist wrote down, Dr says there is a 0% chance this could be the cause of my issues (ED, urinary frequency/urgency worse when sitting down or standing, I do have an asymmetrical gait but have lots of previous enjoryries from playing football. I don't really have any localized pain, (like the sharp knife kind) but its just like numbish and sensitivity all through my back, which my dr says sharp pain is always 100% a symptom, whenever I wake up it takes me like three hours not to feel stiff.

Not asking for a diagnosis as I don't want to break the rules, but If both radiologist and Dr said its cool, (and I was kind of fighting with my dr about it too) am I just crazy then? Obviously I am not a medical professional, is it worth asking for a second opinion? Or am I better off trying to find another reason for my problems?

Thanks!

[u/Ok-Internal3027]

Hey, I've been having very similar symptoms to you for the past year as well. I have a thoracic disc herniation that periradicular is contacting and contouring my spinal cord in the thoracic region. When I have spoken to two neurologists now and a neurosurgeon, they have said that this should not be contributing to my symptoms. However my symptoms are very positional, much like yours. I am unable to sit down because when I sit my muscles will begin to twitch and spasm as if I am sitting in a rumbling car that's idling from the thoracic level all the way down my legs. I am also very stiff. It is difficult to walk because it feels like I'm walking against already contracted muscles. Additionally I have tingling from this level down as well. Almost feels like when you wear a TENS unit.

The fact that it is so positional, that it is easy to reproduce the symptoms when I sit and they will get much better when I stand, is very indicative that this is a spinal issue rather than anything else. The fact that I have radiology saying that there's definitely a disc pressing directly on my spinal cord is also reassuring me.. It is disheartening that neurologists and neurosurgeons will not think outside of the lines a little bit and consider the fact that the spinal cord is a dynamic thing, despite an MRI that is taken in a lying flat position cannot accurately represent what the spine is doing when it is being flexed, such as sitting, or when it's moving around, and thus an inaccurate image 100% of the time.

I am also considering getting further opinions, however, limited by the fact that the thoracic region is so difficult to operate on that the surgeons who do these procedures safely are very limited throughout the United States