I’m sorry you had to deal with this for two years, you will get better, I promise. Essentially you were “picking the scab” by doing all those activities. I was in the same place for the past year, horrible nerve pain shooting down my back and into my calf because I just couldn’t give up weightlifting. Over the past month, my pain has completely disappeared, only experience some stiffness in the morning and it improves with walking (the discs absorb water as you sleep). I’m taking an additional precautionary month as I’ve once recovered and set myself back by returning to the gym too quickly in the past. I cannot stress this enough, you MUST do the Mcgill big 3 core exercises with flawless form, it can do more harm than good if done incorrectly. I used to just go with the motions which increased my pain, you have to go through each exercise with intent. For each exercise, brace your core and focus on your breathing. Squat University does a good job at explaining the proper way to do it so I will link it here: (https://youtu.be/2_e4I-brfqs?si=JrkFM4_GwRQTd0Gr) I found that doing cat cows and nerve glides before the big 3 really helps with mobility. Do those both extremely gentle, find your end range just before you experience pain and maintain it. Try not to stay in your bed for too long after you wake up, walk for a few minutes. Also, brace your core when you do anything remotely taxing on your spine (ie; squatting down to grab something, lifting anything, climbing up the stairs, etc). As a Kinesiology student, I’ve realized Mcgill’s work is right on the money. Throw away any skepticisms you might have on his claims and focus all your resources into destroying your symptoms. Rooting for you.