Hi Lurchie.
Iam new the forums and just stumbled on your post. Your post reads just like the past 2 years of my life. Iam a long term sufferer of lower back and the last month it has finally come to a end I hope.
Like you I played football,rugby and cycled for most of my life. 2 years ago the pain came to a point where my wife saw her first grown man cry with pain. My doctor put it down to sciatica and prescribed pain-killers,anti-inflamtories and physio, this has got me through the past 2 years but things got worse over the past month. I went numb down my left leg and around my groin area, I visited a differnt doctor who told me to go directly to my local A&E where I had a x-ray and was told it was possible I had Cauda equine syndrome which is a very serious condition. Having been messed about for another 2 weeks by my local hospital and being re-diaognosd with sciatica my GP referred me to a neurosugeon. I had a Wikipedia reference-linkMRI scan on wed 6th april and on sat 9th april I had discectomy on my L5/S1. The surgeon said I was very lucky I came when I did on I could have lost all bladder function and maybe paralasis of my left leg. I have been home now for 2 days and it has amzed me how go surgery has been for me, I was up and walking within 8 hours of the op and I can already walk about a half mile unaided. I have been told by my physio that it will be at least 3-4 months till Iam fully fit and able to get back to normal.

I didnt really have a choice about the surgery but Iam so glad its done. Its the first time in years my back is pain free, I have read my reports on surgery good or bad but I looked at it as everybody is differant. If you want to know any more feel free to ask.