sounds like pretty standard over 40 back to me. your least invasive would probably be a microdiscectomy for surgical. The L4-L5 is where I think it would help if it would help. The rest, traction and inversion maybe. I would stick away from fusion. Side note, do you use any peps? Thymosin Alpha 1 is one of my go to's for inflammation, could be worth a go.

I had classic sciatica with lightning bolt electricity pain going down my leg, or if I was lucky to wake up that day without it, the leg felt like it had 50 lbs strapped to it - I would basically drag my right leg as I walked.

3 epidural injections. First one worked for about a week. Second, about a month. Third, never looked back, no more pain no more weakness. They warned me upfront, sometimes it takes up to 3 injections to really work.

All while receiving those injections, I changed my lifestyle. No more deadlifts, ever. Bought a sit-stand desk. Bought an $$$$ ergonomic chair. Warmed up my back for everything, regardless of what I was doing.

I'd go take the injections if they are offering them. They really have minimal downsides.

Its been really informative going through the comments and I appreciate everyone sharing, even for younger guys this shit is better if you prevent it.

I remember my father struggling with immense back pain, 16+ surgeries and it kind of always came back.

Once you get one surgery it feels ur stuck with many more coming your way

I’ve had 4 lower back surgeries in the last 25 years. All lumbar L4/L5/S1 with combination of discectomy, laminectomy and a partial fusion.

Each time I’d wait a few months hoping time would help while trying all the standard options (pain meds, nerve blocks/meds, epidurals, PT) & never had long term success. I’ve tried massage therapy, acupuncture and bought an inversion table too with little relief.

My primary issues revolved around herniated discs, bone spurs and stenosis (narrowing of spinal column/nerve channels). Quality of life got so bad each time (could barely move/work, play with my kids, etc.) I ended up going under the knife but have always recovered well. I wouldn’t say I regret going through it because it always got to the point where I couldn’t function & had no quality of life. Surgery sucks but it’s always given me my life back. I’m in my 40s & still very active. I definitely have some pain & numbness now and then but no where close to when I was at my lowest points.

I’m just as strong as I was in my 20s but I now avoid heavy DLs and squats and generally anything else that puts too much stress on my lower back.

If you’ve learned to live with it up to this point & things eventually level back to normal I’d try to avoid surgery. While each surgery has helped me, I’m not what anyone would call a success story considering I’ve had 4 of them.

Back pain is a bitch man…I hope everything works out for you and sincerely wishing you the best.

2 years of PT with the use of TB500/bpc-157, and now KLOW have helped me tremendously. Daily hip flexor stretches. The half kneeling psoas stretch and prone press up were big time helps

Daily back stretches help me immensely.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbwg8Ya5q1o

Almost the exact same as my low back for 10 years now. Bulged and degenerative discs from my S1 to L3.

Steroid shots help but only work for so long. They can help get over a bad flare up. Best way to deal with it is work on flexibility and avoid triggers. That being said sometimes you can’t avoid it. I’ll have flare ups that last a few weeks and have no idea what the fuck I did.

The back doctor I saw 10 years ago recommended avoiding surgery as long as possible. He said I may never need it if I learn to live around it.

Lifting changes I made include no or very light deads, benching with my feet up, all horizontal rows are chest supported, Hatfield squats. Most importantly listening to my low back when it’s telling me “don’t you fucking do it”.

I've had 3 diskectomy (however you spell it) in the same location, L5-S1. Has back issues with it for years and only broke down for the first surgery when my cord started to become impinged. Painful as shit! Recovery wise, I managed to get into the best shape of my life afterwards. I think it was because the surgeons told me I'd NEVER do heavy construction again, I'd NEVER lift weights again, that I felt the need to prove them wrong. Anyhow, the bottom line is that it's totally doable! Just can't be a puss. Gotta push yourself through it. Most of us as bodybuilders, powerlifters, whatever, we know our bodies rather well. Just have to listen to it brother. But what you don't have to do, is me told you can't when you one hundred percent can!
As far as epidurals go, don't waste your time. Just another way to overcharge your insurance. I can't speak for anyone else, but it did nothing for me.
Honestly, the thing that helped me the most, I had a neurologist that took pity on me and gave me cortisone injections right up my lumbar at almost every level. Small injections, but they worked for a little bit at least.
I've found that what we do in the gym, lifting staying in shape, being active... By far the best thing you can do for yourself. When you lay down and let it get to you, you are doomed to a life of it. I'll NEVER stop moving!

L4-L5 is where my wife was having issues with disc degeneration and a bulging disc, for years she was getting epidurals and every time it was effective for a shorter period at first she would get a year of releif then 9 months and then 6 until eventually she was only getting maybe 1-2 months of relief and finally her primary sent her a orthopedic surgeon that specialized in spinal surgery and he suggested doing a nerve ablation first because it is less invasive and he likes starting with the least invasive route first. He said if they did surgery it would be a spacer because there wasn't enough degeneration to need total replacement, he said if the degeneration continued after the spacer at some point down the road fusion or total disc replacement would be required, with her only being 37 he suggested the nerve ablation to not start the clock on surgery and future revisions that would be required. It has been life changing for her, she went from being on medical leave at least once a month and in so much pain sometimes I would have to dress her and carry her to the bathroom to being able to live a completely normal life and go to the gym 4 days a week. There are certain lifts she can't go heavy on because the disc damage is still there, the nerves that send the pain signal that it hurts have been destroyed from the ablation so she just doesn't feel the pain. She will eventually need surgery but for now killing the nerves that we're being pinched so she doesn't feel the pain has given her her life back.

Hey. First off sorry you’re dealing with this. L4/l5 injury are why I had to stop competing and basically stop lifting for 15 years. I had some epidurals at first and they were helpful, but I was trying to keep lifting, and honestly I had to stop (lifting and the epidurals). I recall pissing myself once from an epidural. So there’s that. And I had a cane for a bit as a 21 year old. Really sucked.

To this day I’ll be ok for many months and then put a dish in a cabinet (or something seemingly harmless like that) and the movement will somehow cause a week or more of can’t get out of bed level pain. Spasms that would make anybody yell.

It’s been so long since I’ve had scans I don’t recall the exact verbiage but one was ruptured and the other bulging with I think they called it stenosis (?).

The most helpful thing I did was ashtanga yoga about two years after the injury. I did this almost daily at a studio for a summer. It sucked getting scrawny (albeit conventionally attractive to many), but honestly to this day I’ve never had such a pain free life.

Speaking of these days I now lift again but go heavy on absolutely nothing and try to emphasize the half hour or so of daily cardio more than anything. The yoga calls to me like the vegetables I’m supposed to eat- I know it would do me lots of good, but haven’t done it in years.

I hope you find relief!

And never had $ or insurance good enough to consider surgical route. Have rarely if never met anyone happy they did it though.

Oh and now I have degenerative disc disease elsewhere in my spine. Can definitely still get a good pump without needing to be the strongest dude in the gym.

After thought: I’m no expert but the ashtanga specifically was helpful because they didn’t let me do a pose until I could properly do the elementary ones that precede it in the sequence. So I couldn’t fuck myself up worse in other words.

I had a bulging disk in my L5-S1 and the bulge was clipping my sciatic nerve, which was making it inflamed, so I had pain ripping down my right leg. That shit took me out of work for two months, got on short term disability from it. The pain in the first month was so bad I couldn’t even sleep at night. I also did get the foot sag, I was limping and my foot was kind of dragging with each step. I had to pretty much stay seated or laying down all day for the first few weeks. In the entire time of my two months out of work I also had to do PT 3 times a week as well. I was gonna get a SNRB done for the epidural, but for some reason the pain clinic canceled my appointment over insurance related issues. I said fuck it and just went back to work, cause after chilling for two months I felt much better, and I was also very very excited to just train again.

I know a man who has had major back surgery on here, see if he can shed some light on this @Jimmy1048