@1dlynnborst It's always good to try physical therapy first and listen to your body and have an ongoing communication with with your physical therapist. Imaging can sometimes cause anxiety because you start worrying about a problem after they find it. Not everything on the imaging causes pain and often patients with bulging discs don't even know it. Over time imaging can show progressive change in the spine as a way to track what is going on. If you do get to where you are considering surgery, make sure that you are seen by a surgeon whom you would choose for surgery. I understand wanting to be seen sooner, and there is usually a wait for a good surgeon. You may want to ask for copies of all imaging for yourself at the time of the appointment. Than is easier than asking for it later, and if you want to take it to another surgeon for a 2nd opinion, you are already prepared. I once had a surgeon disregarding my symptoms and being very dismissive. Actually he was missing the diagnosis which I found out later, but I told him I was getting worse and got him to order a new MRI. I took that MRI disc to another surgeon and never went back to one who had ordered it.