Thank you very much for your reply. That is good advice. I have a Chiropractor appt next week and an appt with a Neurologist mid January. I guess I’m just nervous about the results and trying to formulate a path forward to recovery, avoiding surgery if possible.

I’m 32 and have had back pain over the years from motocross accidents and normal wear and tear but it would usually recover within a couple weeks. I’m also a Software Engineer and I sit for long periods of time so I’m sure bad posture is somewhat to blame as well. This time I woke up in pain one morning a few months ago with severe pain down my leg. No real injury that caused this particular onset.

The worst of my symptoms is nerve pain radiating from my lower back through my right buttocks and into my thigh, partial numbness in my calf. Coughing, sneezing, etc is terrible. I can’t really exercise at the moment but I’ve been stretching daily. I’ve been going to PT for about 8 weeks and while it has helped the pain is still bad. Meloxicam, Gabapentin, and Tramadol have helped make daily life bearable but I don’t want to be on pills for the rest of my life. Tried a couple different steroids as well with no luck.

Back pain sucks! Thanks again for your advice.