Surgery or therapy
Hello. I'm 29 years old and I've had sciatic nerve pain for over a year. It started from lifting weights incorrectly because I wasn't prepared to handle that weight. Before that, I already had some back pain; when I lifted my legs, my muscles would adjust and pop (this happened every time I lifted my legs). The doctor kept giving me the runaround and various diagnoses until I finally got an MRI.
The specialist diagnosed a herniated disc at L5-S1. Months have passed, but the pain has worsened. I've tried taking type II collagen and magnesium, as well as drinking plenty of water. I also do stretching exercises when I can.
Do you think I should have surgery, or is it not so serious and can it be resolved with therapy? I'm not very knowledgeable about this, and I also wanted to ask if it's good to exercise, like running.