I had two decompression surgeries several years apart. At my first surgery I had an L4 hemilaminotomy and an L5 hemilaminectomy with a partial removal of the herniated disc at that level. For my second surgery he enlarged the L5 partial hemilaminectomy and did a revision decompression of both the L5 and S1 neve roots. When I needed surgery the third, I had no choice but to have a fusion of L4-S1. After a decompression surgery, most if not all of your pain should be gone at least for a few years. I still have sciatic pain after my fusion but if I sit or do a stretch, that pain goes away quickly and I can resume whatever I was doing. The only other thing I have done after recovery from any back surgery was to either walk or as I suggested, swim. It has been almost four years since my fusion and I have pain everyday but it is not constant. L2 and L3 above my fusion which were a problem before my surgery are gradually getting worse. I have no pain in the area of the fusion. At the time of the surgery, the doctors felt it would be better to just do the two levels as that wouldn't interfere with my mobility as much as a three or four level fusion would have. My neurosurgeon was Dr. Richard Marsh at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He has done all of my surgeries. The orthopedic surgeon who was a part of my fusion surgery is no longer with the clinic. I believe he was involved in a research project while he was there. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Lake Superior, 400 miles from Rochester. I hope you will at least try once to do water therapy. Pool exercises will put little to no compression on your spine, allowing you to work out without worsening your back problems. I always feel better for several hours after I have been at the pool. My other tip is to sit or stand straight and tall. Don't limp or favor one leg over the other! When you limp you are throwing your spine out of alignment and this will aggravate your back pain and cause more back pain.