r/HerniatedDisc

I've worked with back pain for 13+ years, and the thing I see most often isn't people lacking treatment – it's people never getting a clear explanation of what's actually going on. "Your MRI shows a bulge", "it's your posture", "it's degenerative" – and then nothing more.

So: what's the one thing about your back (or neck) pain you still don't really understand? A scan finding, why it flares, why it moves around, why it hurts when nothing seems damaged – anything.

I'll answer as many as I can in the comments in plain language. Not medical advice or diagnosis, just explanations.

I’m 26 and have been dealing with an L5-S1 herniated disc for almost 2 years after a work injury.
When I first injured my back, I went through physical therapy, medications, stretches, and other conservative treatments. I eventually had an MRI and saw a neurologist, who told me that I didn’t need surgery and that surgery could potentially cause more pain than leaving it alone.
For a long time, I was able to manage the pain, even though I still had ongoing back and sciatic pain. But things have gotten significantly worse recently.
A few months ago, I bent over from a seated position to grab something and felt my back “tweak.” Since then, I’ve had a severe flare-up with intense lower back and sciatic pain, difficulty walking, and shaking in my legs. Both legs can feel affected, although the left has generally been worse. I’ve also had trouble lifting my legs and increased pain when sitting, standing up, bending, or walking upstairs.
More recently, I’ve started experiencing tingling in my feet and legs, occasional numbness, difficulty lifting my legs, and pain across the tops of my feet. I’ve also noticed that my right foot seems to drop when I try to walk on my heels. My feet and legs can shake significantly when I try to raise them. I’ve also developed pain around my tailbone that is worse when sitting.
I currently don’t have health insurance, so getting another MRI and seeing a specialist has been difficult. I’m trying to figure out how serious this progression is and what my next steps should be.
Has anyone with an L5-S1 herniation experienced worsening symptoms like foot drop, leg weakness/shaking, numbness/tingling, or pain in the tailbone/feet? Did you eventually need surgery, and how did you go about getting evaluated when you didn’t have insurance?

I (18f) have degenerative disk disease, my L5S1 being my worst disk. I want to be a pallbearer for an upcoming funeral. Would I be able to do it? Im ready to accept that i will be sore after, I know that, but will it be unbearable?