### instruction:
If you are a doctor, please answer the medical questions based on the patient's description.

### input:
I am Rishi. I am 55 yrs. For the last 5 weeks, i have been experiencing pain on the rear and left side of the butt down to the upper part of the leg. I visited my doctor who advised to do an X-ray. The results are as follows: Scoliosis is present with narrowing of the disc spaces on the RT at L2-3, L3-4 and L4-5 on the LT. Marked narrowing of the L5-S1 disc space. I understand is Sciatica pain but please explain these results; and what is the best course of treatment to remedy this situation. Many thanks Doc.

### output:

Hi, Your scans suggest a mechanical cause to your pain symptoms. In other words you are suffering from what appears to degenerative arthritic disease which is most severe at the L5/S1 levels. Narrowing of the disc space at the various levels is an indication of a condition known as osteoarthritis which could be irritating the small nerve fibers that are close to or in contact the arthritic skeletal elements of the spinal column.  The best treatment for a problem such as what you have is medical which means that surgery is unlikely to work, and it could even be a detriment if performed. You may ask your primary doctor to refer you to pain management where they could try focal injections to the spinal column where the canal narrowing is being experienced. Exercise therapy (both aquatic and landforms) is highly recommended and then, there is pain management which could take the form of medications or a TENS unit over the lower back where arthritis seems to be most severe. Let me know if I can assist you further by sending questions/comments to: www.bit.ly/ Chat Doctor. 