I am just getting over the exact same thing you are going through. I have a server herniation of a disc in my L5 that was applying pressure on the sciatic nerve. The pain running down my left leg was so bad I could barely use it. I dealt with the pain for over 7 months that gradually got to the point where it had mentally and physically beat me down. I was like many on here that just wanted some relief. I tried the injections and they did nothing for me. After the pain meds in the shot wore off I was right back in pain a few hours later. When I learned the shots were not an option I started looking for the best back surgeon I could find. Dr. Woodall came highly recommend if I was going to pursue surgery. Thankfully he could not see me right away and my orthopaedic doctor set me up with some Physical Therapy that came highly recommended from some people in the know. My orthopaedic doctor had tried to get me to do PT several months earlier but I was hard head and didn’t have time. Well, with all the pain I was dealing with I was willing to do what I needed to do to get some relief. I started PT every other day with traction. Within a week I could tell I was getting better and within two weeks I could really tell a difference. I stuck with PT for 6 weeks and I am now 98% back to normal with my back. I have some minor pains every now and then. I can live with those if it keeps me from having surgery. I still do my exercises the PT therapist taught me every other day. So far so good!!

I still consulted with Dr. Woodall even though I was much better. He looked at my MRI and knew I was in pain prior to my PT. He was very surprised that PT was helping however, he said each person in different. He was the first surgeon I ever meet that wasn’t cut happy. He told me to continue with my PT and if needed him I knew where to find him. He also said no surgeon could ever make you like God did. His suggest to me was to consider all other means before surgery which I had done. Thankfully the last option worked for now.

My advice for you is to give PT at least 6 weeks before making a decision. If you are getting better stick with it even though you may be back to 100%. If you aren’t getting an relief from PT then try the injections. You might all so consider some steroid injections while your are doing PT. Those helped me short term but never combined the PT with the injections. Had I done so in the beginning I would have got better months earlier.

That’s my 2 cents.