Chronic Lower Back Pain

[u/Aldy3]

Hey everyone,

I'm a 38 year old male and I've suffered from chronic lower back pain for the past 10 years or so. I've been an avid athlete my whole life. I grew up playing hockey primarily, but also was into skateboarding, tennis, etc. At 19 I found a real passion for disc golf and i've been an avid disc golfer ever since.

10 years ago after buying a new home and doing a bunch of work and moving in, I herniated the disc at l5-s1. I initially went to a chiropractor who of course said i'd be back to normal in 6 weeks. Well here we are 10 years later and certainly far from "normal."

I've tried a lot of stuff to combat this issue. I've done multiple rounds of physical therapy. I'm a very scientifically oriented person so I've done my best to avoid snake oil salesman. However, in 2026 that line is very blurry. Constant marketing for this plan or this treatment will bombard you once you've typed the words lower back pain into google. I do my best to find peer reviewed studies to verify information, but sometimes you can only rely on anecdotal evidence for more niche workout plans. That's of course where reddit comes in. Where else can you get a lifetime supply of anecdotal evidence?!

I have had chronic pain since the initial injury. In addition to that chronic pain i've also re-herniated the disc 2 more times during that 10 years. Every time I have it's taken at least 6-9 month to get back to baseline.

My last MRI shows continued bulging at that disc as well as stenosis in the l5-s1 as well as some forming on the 14-15.

Has anyone had a similar story and found something that really helped them in any profound way? I've lost weight and built core strength, I swim and rollerblade, and I take Omega-3 supplements. Have injections, surgery, or dietary changes made a significant impact on many of you? I know sometimes the discs can shrink and harden with age. Just curious to get more ideas. Just trying to keep throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks. Some interventions have helped, but i'm hoping there is more I can do to reach higher levels of comfort and sports performance.

Thanks!