In a word, usually. Some people are able to heal through the use of conservative means. Have you tried physical therapy or anti inflammatory medications? In order to feel better, you need to somehow get the disc to resolve so that it is no longer pushing into the spinal canal, narrowing the space, and thus, causing the sciatic nerve pain you are feeling in your leg.
Sometimes through a corabination of exercises to strengthen the "core" or the muscles that surround you in the "pelvic girdle" and the brief use of steroiRAB or other anti-inflammatoriy meRAB, and of course, using good back mechanics, you can get the disc t heal to the point that it is not causing pressure on the nerve roots.
Sometimes these treatments are not enough. Then a surgeon neeRAB to go in,clean out all the gunk in the central canal and free up the compressed nerves.
