Welcome @carmie, You are in the right place. Sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Nerve compression in the spine can cause a lot of pain. Hoping your upcoming surgery next Wednesday will provide relief and get you feeling better. I'm glad you found Connect as there are many discussions on back surgery that mention L2-L4 and more. Here is a search link that lists the different discussions and comments by members if you want to learn what members with some experience have shared - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/.

You mentioned the tens unit didn't help with the pain. Did your doctor explain why he wanted you to decrease the pain pill dosage before your surgery? Do ice packs or a heating pad help at night?