Hey I have the same problem as you do...
L5/S1 focal disc bulge tendig to the left compressing the S1 left nerve root in the lateral recess... I had an injury in april 07 where I overshoot a jump and landed flat during snowboarding. I didn't feel any pain until the day after where I couldn't move at all. At that point I just thought that my thigh and ass area/muscles was sore and didn't bother going to the doctor. The pain felt and still feels like having a knife stabbed into the seating area and at the beginning of the backside of my thigh and going down until it stops before hitting the back of my knee. I couldn't walk straight or normal for a month or two, but during the summer I sort of got better. I could start running and slowly start playing football(soccer) and start a bit of surfing. The pain was still there but it was possible to start training again... But then during fall to winter it got worse... The pain was stronger and I stopped playing and running at the gym... At this point I went to the doctor, then got sent to a kiropraktor who thought I had an broken muscle in my thigh or something, did some streching and stuff, didn't help that much... Later on I decided to take an MR. The MR showed that I had a prolaps or a disc compreshion in my lower back that irritated the left S1 root or created pressure on it... The injury is known as isjias, not sure of what it's called in english. But anyway later on I went to a fysioterapeut and an expert on back injuries, they both concluded with that the prolaps wouldn't dry in because of my young age and that the only option was surgery... I'm basically in the same position as you are and I don't know what to do! The pain is moderate and ok to live with if you want a miserable life with pains limiting it. Or you can have an op and get well ,hopefully, or it can fu*** up your life... I don't know what to do, there must be another way out right? There has to be some other things that would heal that shit?