Degenerative disk disease and Pre-exisiting condition news

When I got my MRI back my QME doctor wrote a diagnosis report sating I have underlying degenerative disc disease thrown into my bilateral-repetitive-strain-injuries mix.
My MRI of the cervical spine reveals disc bulges at:

Quote:

C4-5 (1-2mm no significant central spinal stenosis), C5-6 (2-3mm left paracentral disk bulge & mild facet hypertrophy causing mild foraminal narrowing on the left, & C6-7 (3-4mm right paracentral disk protrusion, which indented the thecal sac.) There was mild uncovertebral & facet hypertrophy. Findings cause moderate lateral recess stenosis & narrowing bilaterally and a moderate to severe central spine stenosis. Options for care- Cervical epidural steroid injections

Now I really have no idea what this means but I do know that my treating doc wants me to do traction instead of surgery and I know that the QME doctor says the disc problems are preexisting.

Questions I have to find answers to:

1. Can disc degeneration be reversed or just slowed down?
2. What does an cervical epidural steroid shot do?
3. How much does that hurt???!
4. Can an MRI definately prove that this was a pre-existing condition rather than a secondary injury of Thoracic Outlet?
5. And for extra credit: What the heck does the above diagnosis say in layman's terms

I have to find out the answer to #4 particularly because it will effect my disability rating and in turn my WC payment.

MRI follow-up

In my previous post I wrote:

In the days since my MRI I have talked to several TOS sufferers and they have all told me unless I was making a football goal with my arms in the imaging process, the compression would not show.

I just found out I wasn't being imaged to rule out TOS, they were looking for abnormalities other than compression in the thoracic outlet. And I would have had to been injected with dye and in a tube MRI machine for that kind of imaging.
My doctor said the film was poor to average image quality and that the place I went to was known for it. What was found in the film I had was disc bulges @ C4-5 (1-2mm) & C5-6, C6-7 levels (both 2-3mm). My doctor and I talked about neck traction as a solution as surgery does not seem to be needed.
Also- I have no idea what the WC Doc will interpret this as My treating doctor did say that because the MRI was done so late in the game it would be impossible to say if this was a precursor to the injury just as much as it would be a secondary injury. So quite possibly it won't help or hurt my case.

Ever had an MRI?

I had a Permanent and Stationary (PS) rating examination by a Qualified Medical Examiner (QME) that my WC insurance company and I agreed upon. This doctor recommended that I go to get a MRI on my cervical spine so that he could make the best Permanent Partial Disability rating. I don't know specifically what he is looking for but given the fact that I have symptoms of TOS, I believe he is looking for abnormalities in my bone structure that could cause the neurogenic or vascular compression. I had an x-ray earlier that ruled out cervical ribs (actual extra ribs above you collarbone) but showed pronounced vertebrae.

I can't say I felt confident at any point of my experience in the office where I had my MRI. They were disorganized, couldn't get my name right (I was always Last name first, First name last), and the office felt weird to me. All things combined didn't put me at ease and I believe that is half of what makes a medical appointment a good one. (The other half= doing the job right i.e. diagnosis and treatment)
I know its vague to say the office didn't feel right to me but they had pergo flooring down and it was really warpy. Like it had been laid down on top of a carpet that hadn't been cleared of children's toys or something. And there was an optical peacockesque light in the lobby. You know the ones that you begged your parents to but you when you went to Spencer's at the mall? Bizarre.

Question: How was the MRI experience and how did it come out?
Answer: Just fine :)
The woman who conducted the MRI was very sweet and prepared me (as it was my first time). I wasn't scared to begin with but her pep talk seemed genuine and she boosted my comfort level. I was given a panic button to squeeze If I had a freak out moment during the process. *Sidenote- I thought MRIs were in tubes but this wasn't. I was getting a cervical spine image and was on a table underneath a huge Star Trek Enterprise shaped magnet (?) from my waist up. It was probably 4" from my face and I believe I wasn't closed in on the sides. The sounds they make are enough to make me believe in sound torture as real method of making people lose their mind though :P * I was hearing sounds that weren't there. My mind was being rattled for sure.
After the MRI, I got the images while I acclimated to the world. I was surprised the were ready so fast and that I was the one to handle them. (A doctor referred me there so I thought they'd be sent to him, especially since I have no appointments w/ him on the horizon.) Again, this was my first MRI so I don't know much- but I thought the images looked good.

In the days since my MRI I have talked to several TOS sufferers and they have all told me unless I was making a football goal with my arms in the imaging process, the compression would not show. I just confirmed this sentiment on emedicine.com

The need to study the patient in different positions (eg, in abduction or in adduction) is important for the physician performing the MR imaging study because a simple image obtained in the anatomic position may obscure unprovoked vascular compression.

*I believe in sound torture now...
I also felt like this guy I saw in the BBC series "Spaced" who begins to hear a song within the sounds of everyday life. Coincidentally, I saw this episode the night before I had the MRI and I was stifling laughter for most of my procedure.. I wanted to embed the clip here but it's no longer allowed by YouTube. But if you want a laugh please check it out here !