u/hamsterNotSloth

I got a basketball injury around 4–5 months ago and unfortunately didn’t take proper care of it initially. Since then, I’ve been dealing with lower back pain along with sciatica symptoms in both legs — mostly the left leg, but occasionally the right as well.

My MRI shows:

• L5–S1 broad-based disc protrusion with annular tear
• Bilateral nerve root abutment
• Mild L4–L5 disc bulge

Until about 3 days ago, I was actually improving a lot:

• Almost no sciatica in the right leg
• Mild residual sciatica in the left leg
• No major leg pain
• Mostly a feather/dragging sensation in the calf occasionally
• Could walk without triggering symptoms
• Lower back pain had mostly settled down

Then yesterday I stood for more than 2 hours while working at my standing desk/laptop setup (1 hour standing, 30 min break, then another hour). Since then, symptoms have flared up again.

Current symptoms:

• Sciatica in both legs again
• Right leg now has more symptoms than before
• Symptoms are present even at rest and increase while walking
• Still not sharp/severe leg pain — more tingling, pulling, sciatic sensations
• Mild pain in the lower-left side of the back (same spot as original injury)

One doctor recommended continuing conservative rehab for another month, while another recommended surgery.

I would love to understand how people who have faced similar scenarios in the past dealt with it to get better.