Hi. I am also new to this site, and I am not a doctor, but I have a similar problem as yourself, called spinal stenosis. Because my problem is similar, I think I can help explain some of the medical terms.

Stenosis means a "narrowing," and I think the foramen is the hole through which each nerve exits your spine and goes to the part of the body it controls. So in layman's terms, "foramenal stenosis" means that you have a "pinched" nerve because the hole it goes through is too narrow. A Nerve that is pinched in the spine usually causes pain in the part of the body controlled by that nerve, which is why you feel pain in your leg(s). Maybe you've noticed that walking makes the pain worse, and sitting down while leaning forward sometimes lessens the pain.

The reason the foramen "hole" is too narrow is that you've got problems with your discs, the membranes that are found between each of the bones in your spine, which are called vertebrae. The discs are like flattened sacks of fluid that normally separate and cushion your back bones, allowing you to twist and turn without pain.

In your case, the fluid in the discs has dried out and parts of the discs are bulging outward. Sometimes this is considered a "slipped disc," and it might be called "degenerative disc disease" because you have a lot of it going on. It could also be due to conditions such as arthritis. Because the discs have gone bad, your back vertebrae are sitting too close together. The bulges and such are pressing against some nerves. When your spine has a problem like that, it grows "bone spurs" to stabilize itself. In medical terms, these are called "osteophytes," and these can press on your nerves along with the bulging discs.

Terms such as "L2-3" indicate where the problem has occurred. The "L" stands for Lumbar, which is part of your spine. "L2-3" means the problem, such as a bulging disk, is between the second and third Lumbar vertebrae.

These types of problems can happen to anybody, but it most commonly occurs in older people (you didn't give your age). In some cases, both your nerves and spinal cord can be compressed due to disc problems and bone spurs. This could result in increased pain, a lot of difficulty in walking, stiffness, leg cramps, and other problems such as bladder incontinence. About the only solution, at that point, is surgery. But if these more serious problems have not yet occurred, doctors may first try cortisone shots and physical therapy.

I hope this has helped, and that you get better soon. If I explained any of this incorrectly, I hope the people on the forum will correct me on this. These medical terms just aren't very easy to understand.