herniated disc

As a young, active person, it never once occurred to me that at age 28 I would suffer from lower back pain. I avoid going to the movies and long car rides because I can't sit that long. And at its worst, I can barely make it through dinner before I have to stand up and stretch. I suffer from sciatica, and it's a real pain.
A common treatment for low-back pain that doesn t dissipate within a few days oral steroids has been shown (again) to be ineffective, especially for the nerve-root pain of sciatica. Will docs change their approach, at last?