The point is, there is a lot of information that neurologists have not kept up to date on or don't know how to communicate. MRIs are a curse and a blessing. Out of all the findings on our MRIs, the majority won't be pain generators. The size of a herniation doesn't matter but where it herniates along the disc perimeter does. Yes, there is inflammation, and NSAIDs are a good place to begin, but more often than not, even ibuprofen recs come without instructions on how and when to take it. Between the nocebic language and the lack of useful info, patients end up up worse. I've been through it too and I worked for neurosurgeons.