No, my pain was from a ruptured L1-L2 disc and it went away in about 8 weeks. My 2nd opinion surgeon recommended against any surgery and suggested let your pain level be your guide on any decision to undergo surgery. So with only a pain level of occasional 1 or 2 on a scale of 10, I am just doing exercises to keep my back healthy and avoiding triggers that would aggravate my recent disc rupture.