Get more opinions about that spinal fusion stuff. I had one at L5-S1. Did nothing to help my lower back pain. Go ahead and try the alternative medicine. As long as it doesn't drain your bank account, what have you got to lose? I had a spinal cord stimulator that worked fairly well in reducing the pain for about 3 years. Suddenly, it just stopped working. The trial for the stimulator is fairly simple and will give you a good idea if it will help your pain.