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Step away from the imaging studies which do not tell the whole story. Most of the real story to painful conditions lie in the history and physical exam. Pain with a "straight leg raise" while seated means that the nerve is irritated called neurotension. Irritated nerves cause cramping pain down the leg. Pain that is relieved with movement like walking (worse while stationary... standing and sitting) suggests that there maybe minor spinal instability (not detectible on the MRI) that improves when the muscles are activated.   Next stop: a highly trained physical therapist. Not any old physical therapist will do... the best have had residency training and are members of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (www.aaompt.org). Shirley Sahrmann, author of Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, comes to immediate mind.   Better solutions exist, keep searching.   Dr. Christina Lasich, MD