Dr Fong has given an excellent answer to your question so I won’t repeat what he has already said.
Certainly surgery is not often required for minor disc problems or nerve impingement - usually symptoms settle with physiotherapy and activity modification. In some situations, patients in clinic have undergone nerve root or facet joint injections for chronic pain symptoms.
In situations where you have “red flags” or profound neurological symptoms together with singnficant changes on an MRI, it may then warrant surgical intervention.
Seeing a MSK/Sports Physician or Physiotherapist might be a starting step for and initial assessment, and then afterwards you might be given treatment or an onward referral.
Hope this helps.
Bw
Dr Dinesh
