--of some of the people in the Spinal forum, the way I'm reading that drawing (and it's certainly an interesting way of representing an MRI) is that the neural foramina--the spaces through which the nerve roots pass--have narrowed considerably due to disc bulge. That might be pressuring the nerve roots enough, especially in certain positions, to cause a number of the symptosm you describe.

That's probably why they're recommending nucleoplasty, which is a farily minimally invasive way of extracting excess disc material in order to shrink it and open up the area--although you should question them as to other procedures. (We can certainly use a little more detail as to whether there are also bony osteophytes compromising any part of that area, etc.).