Can problems with the spine worsen headaches?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have chronic, worsening migraines with pain, tingling, and numbness all over, including the scalp, back of the neck, mid-back, and all over the lower body. I have migraines with light, sound, and smell sensitivity, insomnia, irregular bowel, and visual muscle rippling. I do have a herniation at L4-L5. I found several ring-enhancing lesions on my brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), but local doctors dismissed them as normal.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The pain in your lower back and both legs is from the disc problems, as mentioned in the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the lumbar spine review. The cause for the migraine and sensitivity symptoms is not clearly understandable from the images. It is possible that you might have a clinical problem with the brain that is more of a functional nature and not well explained in the MRI brain scan review. The MRI brain scan images are not showing (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity) any ring-enhancing lesions on the post-contrast images. As you have mentioned having found such lesions, can I request you to upload a screenshot of the image so that I can review it in detail and clarify with you on the matter? There are no findings of concern for multiple sclerosis in the MRI brain images. The MRI of the lumbar spine is showing a disc herniation and protrusion in L4-L5 disc level and is causing moderate to severe bilateral (right > left) neural foraminal compromise. There is likely minimal spinal canal stenosis. Mild disc bulges are visualized in L2-L3, L3-L4, and L5-S1 disc levels, causing mild bilateral neural foraminal compromise. There is no spinal canal stenosis, and there is mild lumbar spondylosis.