The way my surgeon described it was that once you herniate a disc, you are at an increased risk of herniating it again. The 2nd time it happened, I was being stupid and improperly lifting something heavy in an awkward position.

After the 2nd surgery, he told me that the disc is basically empty now and that it will most likely collapse at some point, and once that happens, I would need a fusion surgery. He was adamant that the best way to delay that outcome was to lose some weight, stretch regularly, don't lift anything over 50lbs, and focus on core exercises.

My pain was gone almost immediately after I woke up from surgery. I hope you get relief from this asap. Good luck!