Thanks I have the McKensie neck book, but I have this lower back book, which is very similar to the workouts the PT had me doing:

http://www.amazon.com/Spinal-Stabili...dp/0968871518/

I will order the other McKensie, thanks for the rec.

I've been doing the cobra stretches since the very beginning. It gives me only some temporary relief, but better than nothing. I did them probably once or twice a day when I wasn't in terrible pain, and for the last week, probably 5-6 times a day.

My herniation is posterior and center, which I guess can cause more problems, but all of my symptoms are on the right side. The bulge is to the left, but seems to be asymptomatic at this point.

And my understanding though is that you can't push the disc "back in" (nor can it "slip")... the herniation results in the disc nucleus busting out of the outer layer, which results in the inflammatory response (which is relieved with the steroids). In the end, the terminology means little, as the therapy is still the same.

I am keeping on with the PT but like today... I did my full set of exercises, and felt worse afterwards. So it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, kwim?