How to Treat a Herniated Disc

I am a 33 year old male living in the UK. My first memory of hurting my back was when i was 16, when I flew over the handlebars of my scooter in France. I was a very sporty young man and over the years I just got used to training, playing rugby etc with mild pain in my right leg.

When i was 27 I hurt myself whilst reversing my car after leaving training, a very sharp pain followed by a constant ache. 3 months later I was no better and an MRI scan revealed a slight prolapse to the right L4/5. After a year of stretching and managing my back I was pain free.

Then last year, after a golf game I came home very sore, the next day I woke up and then promptly collapsed as my back spasmed for the first time, I had heard about back spasms before, but nothing prepared me for the pain. I spent 2 weeks on my back dosed up on combination of tramadol and diazepan.

It took 6 months for the pain to subside to the stage where i could begin to train, not to mention 6 months of twice weekly physio. Everything seemed to be going well again until last December when it went again. This time I went privately for another MRI scan and it revealed the same prolapse but larger. I think the exact words were large lateral prolapse L4/5 impinging on the lateral recess.

So, the neurosurgeon has recommended a lower lumber discectomy but all I read here and elsewhere suggests that this could be fixed other ways. I am still in alot of pain, I cannot stand for longer than 5 mins and nothing seems to work. I have not been recommended anything else so all I do now is stretch, try to be active as much is possible and fight through the pain. Pretty confused, scared and unsure of my future. Where to go now? - Tristan