Well I'm a persobal victum of such a Hernia Pulposi as it's called. I couldn't stand anymore on my left leg (muscle control lower leg was down) and no feeling in my left foot and extreme pain. I've lain almost 3 months flat on my back from beginning octobre to the end of decembredrugged with morphine. Now I'm working again half days and revalidating slowly. I had no surgery, just rest.
If after 2 months of rest no automatic relief has a appeared chances of automatic healing are little and surgery is indeed needed. But surgery has risks of permanent damage. While rest and automatic healing hasn't got these risks. I was after 2,5 month on the brink of deciding to get a surgery. But my physician adviced to wait two more weeks and he got it right! Things then started to look up again. So I advoided the surgery risk.
What I've heared of the physician is that indeed surgery (with risks) gives immediate relief, however revalidation time (getting the old yourself again) is just as long as automatic healing, it might take 3 quarters to a complete year. You need this time to 'repair' your muscles along your spine (they get shoved aside to reach your spine in surgery), this will take some months. Further you have to work hard on prevention of another occurance. All your muscles in your upper torso should be trained and strengthed to keep your back straight. In total you'll be a very busy man.
To good news is indeed after an succesfull surgery you can start slowly with working rather quickly. If you have a sitting job ask for a chair without back-rest. This way you train your muscles while working. With a backrest you don't have to keep your torso upright and you do not train. Sitting without a backrest takes time to 'learn' Start slowly about 3 hours a day and build this up as you go along. In a few months you're able to sit like this almost whole day (ofcourse the occasional walk to the coffee machine or collegae)
