I had the same problem. I tried chiropractors, physical therapy, home remedies, epidurals, you name it I tried it. My MRI showed a ruptured disc at L5 S1. According to the back specialist about 70% of these cases will resolve themselves in about 4 to 8 weeks. I was unfortunate to be in the 30% that would have to have surgery to relieve the pain. I had a micro-discectomy to remove the part of the disc that was pinching the nerve and also smooth the bone spurs around the nerve. After a 2 hour surgery I walked out of the hospital with only minor pain at the surgical site. After 24 hours I completely pain free. Went back to flying 8 to 10 hour legs in 4 weeks. No muscles were cut, just the upper layer of skin, which is why the recovery time was so short. PM if you need more details as I don't want to post the name of the surgery center on a public forum. I also spoke to my AME before the surgery and he said it was no big deal. Go back to flying when the doctor releases you and report it on your next medical app. Couldn't have been easier.