Ered, how is your recovery going? I have been following this page since you made the thread. Back in winter '10 I put up a similar thread. Just yesterday, I set up an appointment w/ a neurosurgeon. I have gone through 4 rounds of PT (including Mckenzie) w/ water therapy, ultrasound w/ electrical stimulation, massage, traction, more core exercises, walking w/ a harness. I have tried oral Naprosyn, topical Naprosyn, 2 cortisone injections. Still no relief. In fact this past weekend, I woke up and my left leg was totally asleep from top of thigh to toes The pain ranges from being in my low back, to the left side in my hip, down the outside of the left leg to the calf and foot. There is also left sided weakness with some numbness. And this past weekend the pain was so relentless I ended up taking Vicodin, which I hate doing as it makes me feel all loopy, not to mention the constipation factor DRs, PTs, chiropractors all keep telling me it can heal in time, but I have not really seen any sort of improvements as far as 'long-term'. Heck 1 pain-free day would be awesome at this point. Hence the desparation of seeing a surgeon who may have to cut. Which I am totally scared about.