Yes, I agree it would have been better to clearly state that the bold and bracketed insert was mine. It's a bad habit I learned from PpruNe. It's a sort of convention, but not a very sound procedure.
Reading and re-reading,
To be honest a scan at this point may not really add to anything. If you've slipped a disk, in the absence of any neurological symptoms associated and with often effective non-operative treatment (Physio initially), I doubt you'd find a surgeon who would advise an operation at this point. And why would you want one before trying the non-surgical options first?
I accept you pass on from the scan and talk about surgery. Re-Reading "why would you want one?' obviously means surgery, but being rather dismissive about the scan in the first line, then referring to a substantial surgical procedure as 'one' had me fooled.
This 'Slipped Disc.' term is a oft used misnomer which has confused the layman for years. I even paid good money to a so-called Physio - a successful man who also looked after a football team. He puggled about with my back and told me he'd pushed the disc back in. He later said I'd been unlucky, because it had come out again.
He earned a great deal of money doing this kind of thing.
Making that first decision is the most difficult. Do you trust an Osteopath in the first instance?
One of those sudden clicks that results in a disabling spasm leaves you with the decision to go one of two ways.
I think that if the problem had NOT been caused by lifting something very heavy, then there is a good argument that a Chiropractor or Osteopath may well see you back to normal in 20 minuets - albeit, a little stiff for a couple of days.
There's a good chance it will work and it's so frustrating to go for days, or even months, in pain, when the "basic three" manipulations can work magic.
I don't know the ratio of cases where there's visible displacement, but so often the facet joints are jammed at the limits of their travel, and this can be felt, if not seen, by the Osteopath. It really is a clear symptom. With a young and flexible disc, there may be no damage whatsoever to that disc, and unlocking the facet joints will let everything drop back into place.
The horrible thing is, the huge muscular forces caused by supportive and corrective computations in the spine, often cause lumps of muscles to appear to be something they're not. It really ups the anti in diagnosis.
If however, the sudden back pain is the result of the careless lifting of something far too heavy, then one should not rush into having it pulled about - especially if there is associated twitching or pain in the leg/s. I believe that this requires the full Triage process which will - or should - include an MRI as a standard procedure. This package of information is (or should be) put before some sort of committee who decide on how to progress the case. Sadly, a great many patients in the UK don't get past this point, and never see the surgeon. They can insist, but most don't know that. Pain control is one option, and good luck with that in Essex. Death in extreme old age will probably come first.