u/Equivalent-Ratio-299

I’m 42 and I’m scheduled for an MD on my L4/L5 in about a week. I had a disc herniation back at the beginning of February but didn’t get an MRI until recently and that confirmed my issue. I was basically immobilized for a week or two and then the nerve pain started. I actually had a similar issue about a year and a half ago that cleared up in a few weeks but I would get nerve pain intermittently. This time was much worse and I’ve been taking it easy ever since.

I feel like I’ve progressed with PT over this time period but I still can’t do things I enjoy. I was playing soccer three times a week without issue for years and now I can’t jog or kick without getting nerve pain. My left leg also gets pretty stiff and heavy if I’m walking or standing a lot. I also can’t sit for a long time without getting sore. I’m pretty active and can do most PT stuff and lower body exercises without much trouble but I kind of feel like I’ve hit a plateau. I also have days like today where I feel mostly fine and now I’m questioning whether I should go through with it. The surgeon gave me options and said that surgery in my situation should have a good outcome.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I think that this all started when I began introducing weights into my workouts a few years ago. Before that I did mostly body weight and endurance training with no back problems.