I ve been experiencing stiffness in my back, legs and numbness in my arms. Constant pain in my hips and legs. I recently had an MRI of my cervical and lumber spine. The doctor said I have something called facet arthritis, but looking at the MRI results it seems there might be a bit more going on. What is your opinion? Cervical spine without contrast: Findings: There is reversal of the normal cervical lordosis centered at C5-C6. The intervertebral disc heights are maintained except at C5-6. At C4-C5, there is right greater than left unconvertebral joint hypertrophy with associated right-sided moderate neural foraminal narrowing. At C5-C6, there is circumferential disc bulge with superimposed posterior disc osteophyte complex and bilateral left greater than right unconvertebral joint hypertrophy. There is associated effacement of the CSF spaces with moderate focal spinal canal stenosis and slight deformity of the ventral cord. There is mild left-sided neural foraminal narrowing. At C6-C7, there is mild uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. Impression: This nonconstrast MRI of the cervical spine shows multilevel degenerative changes as detailed above involving C4-C7 with uncovertebral joint hypertrophy a those levels as well as discongenic degenerative changes at C5-C6 with spinal canal stenosis and mild flattening of the ventral cord at that level. Lumbar spine without contrast: Findings: There is mild straightening of the normal lumbar lordosis. There is mild disc desiccation and disc space height loss at L2-L5. L1-L2 - Unremarkable, aside from very small left foraminal annular ligament tear. L2-L3 - Small left paracentral disc protrusion superimposed on circumferrental disc bulge effaces the left latereal recess and posteriorly displaces the traversing left L3 nerve root, without impingement. There is a mild ligamentum flavum infolding and facet. arthropathy. L4-L5 - Eccentric small left disc bulge with ligamentum flavum infolding and mild facet arthropathy with mild left neural foraminal narrowing. L5-S1 - Small circumferential disc bulge. Impression: This nonconstrast MRO of the lumbar spine shows multilevel degenerative changes of the lumber spine from L2 through S1 as detailed above with no significant spinal canal stenosis and no high-grade neural foraminal narrowing. of note at L2-L3 a small left paracentral disc protrusion effaces the left lateral recess and mildly displaced the traversing left L3 nerve root. Left foraminal and far lateral disc herniation and associated annular ligament tear at the L3-L4 level causes mild posterior displacement of the exited left L3 nerve. Please correlate the left L3 radiculopathy.