Symptoms: Sharp back pain in flexion, extension, bending, and twisting. Dull ache in my lower back 24/7. Numbness/tingles in my right big toe and left hamstring/buttock. Aching down both shins and over the front of my ankles. I could no longer take part in sports or yoga as of September 2010.  Also, Sleeping was difficult without 550mg Naproxen Sodiums.

The results of my xray on July 11th, 2011:

The results of my MRI on Jan 15, 2011:

L5-S1. No Malalignment or destructive marrow leasion. Developmentally narrow lumbar central canal, particularly at L3 and L4 due to short pedicles. Conus terminates normally at the L1 level.

Discs and facet joints at L1-2 and L2-3 are well maintained with no evidence of spinal or foraminal stenosis.

At L3-4 the disc is well preserved. There are mild-to-moderate hypertrophic degenerative facet joint changes bilaterally with mild thickening of the ligamenta flava, without significant aquired central spinal stenosis. Foramina remain patent.

L4-5: There is mild disc space narrowing, desiccation and a combination of fatty and edematous endplate signal changes. No paraspinal soft tissue swelling. There may be very minimal enhancement of the disc and adjacent vertebral bodies but this is quite subtle. There is a mild disc bulge identified, eccentric to the left along with a central annular fissure. Mild to moderate degenerative facet joint changes are seen bilaterally with mild thickening of the ligamentum flavum resulting in mild acquired central spinal stenosis and left lateral recess stenosis. There is moderate left and severe right foraminal stenosis predominantly related to encroaching facet degenerative change.

At L5-S1, the disc appears well-maintained. Mild-to-moderate degenerative facet joint changes. Spinal canal and foramina are widely patent. No impingement of the descending roots.

Pre-Op Physio Routine:

This was my daily physio routine (2 times a day) plus ~4km of walking.  I lost the ability to do cat/cow stretches around March, 2011.