Thanks for your help, advice and sharing your experience, supernova_krose.

I will probably have the epidural and see what happens if they let me have one. Even though my nerve isn't trapped on the MRI, do you reckon it'll still help to calm the nerves down as I'm not sure whether they are only for trapped nerves?

I agree with you on avoiding a fusion for as long as possible as I have been told that it can cause more problems like further degeneration from the other discs taking the stress.

Would a discectomy or microdiscectomy help even though the MRI shows that my nerve isn't trapped or compressed?

I certainly wouldn't want to change my G.P now as he seems very persistant on getting my back sorted as much as possible which is a positive thing in itself.

Below is what my MRI results report says as I managed to get a copy of it.

MRI of spine (lower): There is disc degeneration at L2/L3 level with a Schmorl's node and annular bulging. The degeneration would appear to be Grade 3. The remaining discs appear normal. There is no evidence of facet osteoarthritis. The sacroiliac joints are normal. There is no evidence of nerve root compression and all foramina are normal. The conus is normal.

Do you or anyone else know what a Schmorls node is and what the treatment may be for this and the annular bulging, including disc degeneration?

I haven't seen a lot of posts about Schmorls nodes anywhere so I'm not sure what these are.