Dear John,

personally I don't find bedresting a resolutive solution for your problem , although a period of 1 to 3 days of absolute rest is usually recommended to relieve symptoms. An accurate anamnesis (case history) should be taken and indeed scans can clarify whether your case needs to be treated surgically or conservatively. The pain that you are reporting seems to fit with the typical radicular pain pattern coming from a compressed spinal nerve; bare in mind that loss of sensation (parasthesia or even worse anasthesia) and muscles weakness need to be immediately investigated and treated as opportune.
surgical operation can be totally resolutive for your problem although you must to consider that a herniated disc is going to inevitably affect you spine biomechanics and therefore you may be prone in future to postural related problem.

Hope that helped

best wishes

Emanuele