get your hands on a really good anti inflammatory....have someone teach you proper exercises...learn that when you feel the weakness coming into your legs to lie on your back with your legs elevated(bent at the knees) and take the pressure off of the discs,which will help tremendously.
Do NOT life anything more than 10 pounds,and always lift whatever you have to lift,tight to your upper body--learn to strengthen the upper body
You "can" live with this problem--I have now for 17+ yrs...I have 4 herniated discs,a few that are compressed and naturally,arthritis thru it all now.
To have had any surgery,the percentage of 1% helping me,was definitely NOT an option

Back surgery has come a long ways. I agree if you can ease the problem with out surgery, but there are a whole lot of stories of successful surgery outcome. Our son was in horrid pain about 8 years. He tried the shots, but finally has the surgery. He was up and walking, pain free within hours. My story is a bit different, but three of my lower disks were infected. The pain was indescribably. The Drs tried to treat with heavy duty ant-biotics, but finally decided on surgery. They removed the three discs and put in rods (what I call my scaffolding)With some therapy, because I had not been on my feet for 3 months and mostly to get me strong again, It has been a total success. There is nothing I can't do that involves me back.

Sending a hug to you! I know how bad it can be, and I hope you are able to find the best method for relief.

I had a problem with one disc--and it was pinching a nerve that runs down my entire right leg. After 11 months of PT, injections and painkillers, I had the surgery. The surgery was simple compared to the pain from the disc! I followed doctor's orders completely and had no complications. That was in 2000, and I have had no residual effects. (I chose to have a neurosurgeon--rather than an orthopedic surgeon--do the surgery.)

Good luck and keep us posted. Hugs!

My mom had a slipped or herniated disc that was pressing on her sciatic nerve to the point she could barely walk. She wasn't a candidate for surgery so she did PT (faithfully) and started water aerobics. The water exercise is great since it is low-to-no impact. The two together helped her tremendously!! That was 21 years ago and she is painfree. She now also walks and plays golf regularly.

Hope you get some relief asap!!

I had three ruptured discs st different periods of my life. I had epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, therapy, acupuncture and finally went to a top neurosurgeon (better than an orthopedic for backs) and he did an in patient micro surgery. The incision was 2 inches and he did a double laminectomy discectomy. I walked out of the hospital(verrrrry slowly) and about two weeks to eliminate most pain, did therapy and had great success till the next disc blew so I went and did the same surgery again. It's the least invasive type of surgery for discs. Since then I've read all the books by Dr. John Sarno relating to back pain and have lived by his research ever since, long shot, 12 years now and no more surgery so far. Good luck and really try to find a microsurgery neurosurgeon at a top hospital.

My husband had a herniated disk that pinched his nerve. He had pain, numbness, weakness in his left leg. When he began to develop drop foot, they recommended immediate surgery. He had a laminectomey in the hospital. Only a 2" incision at the lower back. He has been doing PT faithfully and is finally back to work full time (14mos later-If he had a desk job, he would have been back much sooner)

All of the advice/experiences above are similar to what were told/experienced.

While the surgery was scary, it was not as bad as we feared. He was up and walking w/o assistance within 2 weeks and a pain my butt within 3 weeks of being home. Nothing worse than a very active man who has to be inactive. :)

This is my story.
I have gone thorough the same things, was in so much pain could not walk, sit, lay or even eat, lots of numbness. Did not want to keep taking pain pills and was scheduled for back surgery on the following Monday.
I literally crawled out of bed to my desk and in grabbing stuff the phone book fell open at my feet to a page for a local chiropractor(also neurological specialist). I had never been to one in my life but at that point was willing to give it a try, since it seemed to be my sign.
I called and the doctor answered(it was closing time), I was in tears and told him my situation. He said can you get here now? I called my husband to come home and take me there (I had to lay in the back of the suv).
That was on the Friday afternoon, he saw me evaluated me and looked at my mri and xrays I brought with me. He put the tens machine on my back with heat for 10 mins or so then he put me on the decompression table, he said this will be your miracle.
After that he did some work on my back and told me to come back Saturday to do it again and he would meet me back at his clinic after church on Sunday, we wanted to get as much in as possible before my Surgery scheduled on Monday.

He told me I would start to feel improvement with in about an hour after the decompression. He was right, I went back each day and by Monday I was up, walking, had very little pain remaining and called to cancel the surgery.
We continued a few times a week till I was ok to only go every few weeks.

I have continued to go have decompression sessions every few months now and I can tell when it is time for me to go, and I am back pain free, no pain drugs, and did indeed find my miracle. Decompression is truly a miracle. I do not know where I would be today if that phone book had not fallen at my feet. But I sure do thank which ever of my guardian angels sent that to me.
I bought my own tens machine so anytime I begin to feel any twinges I sit with my tens on for a while which helps till I go have decompression.

I have several other people that I suggested trying decompression to and they have had incredible success also.
the science behind decompression is sound, it is very similar to traction. Now there are a lot of physical therapy facilities that use decompression.

When I moved here one of the first things I did was find an office near me that had a decompression table.

there are many sites that can explain spinal decompression if you google it this is just one. This is an FDA approved non-surgical option.
What is Spinal Decompression Therapy?

I have three herniated disks. Two in the middle of my back, and one large one at the base of my spine which is now causing constant pain, tingling, numbness and Sciatica. It used to be sporadic pain, has moved to constant. I have done PT, now i am doing water aerobics. I clicked on Ravencajun's link for Spinal Decompression and my doctor has an ad at the bottom! I have an appointment with the spine specialist on the 23rd but have been thinking about canceling it, I am really afraid of surgery. My family doc says I am going to lose the use of my left leg if I don't get something done, so he is nagging me. I really do not want to do surgery, but like a lot of you, I am so tired of the pain.

I have multiple spinal problems. After reading my last spinal scan report, my rheumatologist told me my spine is a "mess." I haven't considered any surgery because of hearing too many bad results. I have done many of the therapys, but still have constant pain.

We now have in our area a doctor who offers methods of back pain relief using new technology.

Sounds like it is worth looking into, and I do plan to see him sometime in the future.

Right now I'm concentrating on having a toenail removal on Monday. That is another post.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr Pollard

I am so thankful I went for it and tried the decompression, it was not my norm, but I was at the point of being nearly insane with the amount of pain I was in and the inability to do anything at all. Nothing else was helping anymore and I was not wanting to go under the knife again.
It was my last resort and man am I glad I took that leap and went for it. At that point I had nothing to lose.
My primary care doctor had been telling me to try it, he was so happy that I did not have to do the surgery.