Expert: Alain Ortiz - 9/16/2007

Question
Recently due to lower back pain I went for an x-ray. The report says:
1) Moderate degenerative hypertrophy bilaterally at L4-5 and on the left at L5-S1 with moderate to marked degenrative facet hypertrohy on the right at L5-S1.
2)Incidental note was made of moderate degenrative osteophyte formation at T11-12 level.
3) Vertebral body heights and alignment appear normal
4) Intervertebral disc spaces and lumber spine appear well maintained


Can you please explain in a more better way. I am worried about arthritis or something more ominous!!

Answer
There is nothing ominous here, these findings clearly explain your back pain.  Do you have any symptoms in your legs?  i.e. pain, numbness, weakness; sometimes you can get disk herniations with impingement on the nerves that exit from your lumbar spine, MRI would be appropriate to look into this should it be the case.