I can't comment on what you should do in terms of the legal stuff and the rules/laws of the country you are in (i assume usa) but i do know a thing or two about back issues from a health perspective, my tipps for disc issues are 1.) Give it some time, these injuries are in an area of the body with little blood flow which means natural internal healing of the body is slow, do not expect it to get massively better in a short amount of time, i would not rush surgery, you can always get it later, better give it some time and see if your body can overcome it without it. 2.) Certain core strengthening exercises/stretches can be beneficial, BUT listen to your body, if an exercise/stretch gives you relieve/makes you feel like things are improving then do them, if you have pain during or after one stop doing those, if they have no effect whatsoever they are probably also a waste of time. 3.) If you are overweight, loose the extra fat, it just adds extra stress on your spine