Malden Retirement System
             Town Hall
             110 Main Street
             Malden, U.S.A.
             
             Gentlemen:
             
             I examined the above-named claimant at your request in my 
             office on 3/11/96.  A history was obtained that on September 
             4, 1995, while occupied as a parole officer in her office, 
             she fell off a chair onto her back.  She indicated she 
             received treatment from Dr. Singh, her primary care provider, 
             who referred her to Dr. Morrison, an orthopedic surgeon.  She 
             sees the orthopedist once monthly and also Dr. Singh once 
             monthly.  They are awaiting authorization from Workers' 
             Compensation to have her acquire a TENS unit.  
             
             She received physical therapy twice weekly for a four-month 
             period and now receives it on a once a week basis.  There 
             were no medical reports available for review, other than what 
             was offered to me by the claimant, which was a report of an 
             MRI of the lumbar spine taken on September 4, 1995.  The 
             impression was multi-level disc dessication and annular 
             bulging with superimposed anterior disc herniation L5-S1.  A 
             focally herniated disc fragment, or canal stenosis, was not 
             seen.
             
             Complaints offered at the time of my  examination were pain 
             in her lower back with numbness in the left calf.  She does 
             have occasional good days, but depends on the position she 
             sleeps in.  She indicated a definite tightness on this day of 
             examination.
             
             Past history indicates an arthrotomy of the right knee in 
             1984, a contusion during an assault to her left leg, 
             resulting in pulmonary embolism in 1987.  She was out of work 
             for one year.  She fractured her thumb in 1991.  In November 
             of 1994, she had similar complaints regarding a pulmonary 
             embolism, but the tests were normal.  She has not returned to 
             work since the injury of September 4, 1995.
             
             Physical examination revealed a well-developed, 
             well-nourished, 45-year-old female, who stands 5'5" tall and 
             weighs 145 lbs.  She was observed to have a normal gait and 
             station.  She appeared to move freely and continued to utter 
             complaints of her low back pain.  Examination of the spine 
             revealed the shoulders and pelvis to be level and the spine 
             straight.  She pointed to her lower lumbar segments as to the 
             area of discomfort.  She indicated discomfort on extension, 
             lateral tilt and rotation of the trunk on the pelvis and 
             forward flexion.  She flexed until her fingertips reached the 
             floor level.  There was no evidence of muscle guarding in the 
             form of spasm during her range of motion.  She has good 
             gluteal tone.  She could heel and toe raise.
             
             Both sitting and supine flexion, straight leg raising and 
             Laseque tests were within normal limits.  She had full range 
             of hip, knee, ankle and foot motion.  There was no atrophy of 
             disuse of the lower extremities.  There was noted a fullness 
             of the right knee without heat.