Welcome, Daniel2!

What you're describing sounds like sciatica to me, and I have the impression that you think so too.

I've had similar problems for about 20 years now. They were so bad a couple of times that I asked my primary care doctor about them. I've had several rounds (8 sessions each time) of physical therapy about it, and those did help me. Maybe you had a less competent physical therapist and could look around for a better one and try again?

As I understand it, degenerative disc disease just happens to many of us as we get older, and there are doctors will do surgery for it but increasingly the medical profession has been backing off on that idea and going with more conservative treatment, like physical therapy.

I've found that just trying out this routine and that routine until I find one that I can live with is another way to cope with sciatica. Finding even a slightly different standing or sitting or lying position can make a big difference.

The shoes you wear can also make a big difference. You might want to consult a podiatrist about properly fitting shoes.

I keep up with the physical therapy exercises I was told to do. Every day without fail I do them.

I'm not free of the pain and the hobbled walking but I haven't had any more of the really crippling episodes that I did have a few times in the past.

Sorry I can't come up with anything more helpful but these are the ways I deal with sciatica.