[annapurna]

Back about the time that ADRSupport.org was created, one of the big names in ADR surgery at the time presented a lumbar spine MRI showing one badly dessicated disk with significant height loss. He then asked the audience to point out the disk that was causing the patient's pain. After everyone pointed out the obviously damaged disk, he explained that the discogram showed the level above had torn and was leaking fluid onto the exiting nerve root and was the source of the pain. The obviously damaged disk wasn't contributing to the perceived pain at all. That's the argument for discograms.

On the other hand, cauda equina symptoms are generally an indication for IMMEDIATE SURGERY, do not pass go and don't plan on getting any money. If you only have a single damaged level, L5S1, and it matches your symptoms, I'd question the whole thought process behind interjecting one more step in a process that's clearly taking too long.