yes it is less pain when i sit down and i too have the same exact back problems you do. just had my mri looked at and the doc said that even though i have those issues at l4 l5 s1, there was no reason for my feet and legs to hurt so much with the symtoms i have.
i would never consider surgery unless i saw three people who were tops and then i would try other modalites first. (just dont do prolotherapy shots if you have nerve pain in your body)
surgery is how all this started for me
only foot surgeries.
we want to believe that surgery will help us and sometimes it does. i know two people who had the same surgery that i did and it came out fine. they got to live life. mine did not. i do not want to scare you, but from all that i have read, surgery can bring more problems.
i am in agoniziing pain and if they said lets operate on your back we will fix you and you will walk again, i would doubt it, unless they could prove it to me.
pain is awful and i stay at home all day too. i have to go back to work on sept 4 and i do not know how i am going to do it. last year i worked, and came home and sat, i never do anything anymore, and no one has asks me to. it is a quiet life. i am mostly by myself. even my family goes and does things now without me.
it is not a good way to live.
i am so sorry for all of us
stephanie