It's too bad Canada doesn't cover back surgeries. I had a herniated disk at L4-L5 which was pinching the L5 nerve root and it was quite debilitating at times, to the point that I couldn't walk, sit, or get much sleep. Living on painkillers is no fun and can't be healthy in the long term. After 18 months of toughing it out, physical therapy, cortisone injections, etc. with only a steady increase in pain, surgery seemed to be the only option.
I'd recommend getting advice from several different doctors. I had appointments with a sports medicine doctor, physiatrist, and three different neurosurgeons. They didn't all agree, but it was helpful hearing from each of them.
Good luck with whatever you and your doctors choose.
