I went through the PT option for many many years. It definitely helped, but never provided lasting relief. Finally, after a period of nearly a year without any

I went through the PT option for many many years. It definitely helped, but never provided lasting relief. Finally, after a period of nearly a year without any pain relief at all (I now have extreme empathy for people who suffer chronic pain), a microdiscectomy/laminectomy resolved everything. After 2 weeks I could go back to work, after 3-6 months I felt fairly normal, and after a year I felt better than I could ever remember. I kept seeing experts, getting more opinions, and aggressively pursuing all options. Eventually I was referred to an amazing back doctor who took me through all my options - first PT, then a series of epidural cortisone injections, and finally surgery. Worth noting though, I did a ton of research about failed back surgeries (it has its own name - "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome"), and while you can put the odds in your favour, there's no sure thing. However, getting a highly rated doctor and surgeon working together to get a very accurate diagnosis, combined with the latest surgical techniques will maximise your odds of success. The microdiscectomy with metrx is pretty incredible for being minimally invasive and keeping recovery time as short as possible.