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[|Human|] MRI of Lumbar spine. 43 yr old female. work as EMT. due to start paramedic course in 8 weeks. My quesion is, afetr 2 weeks of severe pain and restricted sitting, standing, walking, i feel much better past 5 days. I now only have numbness right foot, sore achilles, numb back of right thigh, transcient, tingling, r leg and occasional lumbar spine pain(mild). Can i start gentle exercise?if so, what?.im usually fit, and do spin bike classes, and weight classes. Can i swim? should i do stretches yet? i have been told by g.p to sat off front line a+ e work as an emt for at least a month. Do you agree i need this much rest to heal? thank you Carole B. P.S i had slipped epyhises as an 11 yr old . I still have pins in both hips, with slight laft leg shortening. Will this play a factor in my back?, posture, alignment???? T1weighted, T2 weighted and inversion recovery sagittal images were obtained, in addition to axial images. At the L5/S1, there is degenerative disc disease and a large right paracentral posterior disc extrusion. The extruded disc material measures 1.5 cm in diameter and it is compressing and displacing posteriorly the right S1 nerve root as it exits the theca. There is also compression of the anterior theca but no significant compression of the left S1 nerve root. At L3/L4 level, there is a very small left paracentral posterior annular disc tear and bulge. No significant thecal or nerve root compression is seen at this level. The signal intensity and height of this disc are preserved. No abnormality of the remaining lumbar inverterbral discs has been demonstrated. No intrathecal abnormality is seen. There is a mild scoliosis of the lumber spine convex to the left. Conclusion: 1. At L5/S1level, there is degenerative disc disease and a large right paracentral posterior disc extrusion as described. 2. Very small left paracentral posterior annular disc tear at the L3/L4 level. 3. Mild scoliosis,
[|AI|]  Since you have persistent numbness and tingling over the feet, and you recovered from an acute sciatica, it's better to avoid exercising now. You can start spine extension exercises after the pain and everything is gone for at least 3 weeks. The L5-S1 paracentral disc extrusion could be irritating the nerve root exiting there and supplying the outer border of the sole and back of the leg and thigh. Do you also feel weakness in plantar flexing/dorsiflexing the ankle and great toe?