lumbar back pain

[kimbo50]

My husband has severe back problems and right now is just in physical therapy.  He had MRI's both on his knee and back last Nov/dec, has been to a pain clinic where he was given shots in the spin in January, February and March of this year.  Another MRI and xrays in September of this year and he is only getting physical therpy for the pain.  Can you explain the MRI's?
MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO
IMPRESSION:
1)
L4-5 Moderate Spinal canal Stenosis and right Foraminal Stenosis.  this is Multifactorial as Described above.
2)
L5-S1 Mild Right Foraminal Stenosis.

3)  Moderate Facet Degenerative Change is present at the L4-5 and L5-S1 Levels Bilaterally, right greater than Left.

[kimbo50]

my husbands systems are as follows:  was having pain left are to ring finger and middle finger where it would just stiffen/left knee pain. Had MRI on both his lower lumber and Left knee.Pain in the back in the lower left side which he says is like a knot in his back and tightens up.  (no longer likes to go for walks as ends up in too much pain.  When was at the Neurosurgeons office and he checked reflexes at the knee the left didn't move at all at first--had to hit it more than once to get any reflex;had him walk on his heels and his right(not left) knee gave out and he almost fell.  He has been diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the spine, spinal stenosis, had surgery in december of 2002 for neck pain and couldn't move to the left--he had a anterior cervical fusion with Discectomy???was the C4-C5 and replace with a titanium plate....He started physical therapy last wednesday for the lumbar , myofacial, moist heat, just some of the words that were on the form sent to the PT.  He doesn't take pain meds except Aleve, has had the Bactrim in the past, Celebrex, nothing really helps,...........

[High Noon]

What is your husband's age?

As Mike points out L5-S1 and L4-L5 disc abnormalities are very common in persons 35+

[mike1105]

disc degeneration means the discs have thinned due to wear and tear and the vertebrae are closer together than when he was younger. canal stenosis means there is impinged space around the spinal cord (the canal is small) and foraminal stenosis meaans there are tight openings where the nerves leave the spine---

please describe his symptoms more fully. the MRI report does not seem that bad at all--although reports are not nearly as good to look at as the actual images.  Most people over 30-35 begin to have these findings.