I work at a chiropractors office and we do things a little differently.
Avoid surgery if you can. While it fixes the problem now, 10-15 years down the road your body is going to compensate and ruin the disc/vertebrae above and below the original problem and you'll need another surgery. The recovery process is also very long.
At the chiropractor office I work at we do spinal decompression. It's not a new procedure, in fact it's been around since the 80s. Orthopedic surgeons actually discovered it, and it works so well that they were putting themselves out of a job so they always tell you surgery is the only answer. Spinal decompression actually repairs and adds fluid back into the disc without surgery or needs. It's completely noninvasive. You are strapped onto a table and attached to a rope from the machine that gently stretches your spine. (The machine works with your body so it doesn't cause any damage.) When your spine is stretched in this way it causes the disc to fill back up with fluid. And at my office we use a laser afterwords that promotes healing, reduces inflammation and pain, and it breaks down old scar tissue. (It's called a K-Laser if anyone is interested it's a class IV)
When I get off work tonight ill try to find some videos that will help clarify some of this. It's a little hard to explain through words.
But I have personally seen people come in using wheelchairs and walkers and by the time they are done with treatment they are walking on their own and getting back to their normal lives. I've also seen people with numbness/tingling in their hands and feet go away as well since we are repairing that disc.
This is a permanent solution as long as you don't re-injure yourself (which you can do by stepping off of a curb the wrong way or something silly like that even with a health back). The program is typically 20 treatments (usually 4 times a week for 5 weeks) some people take longer, some take less everyone heals differently and responds differently to treatment as well. But if you were to do spinal decompression and stay off your ski for about 5 weeks and you can be riding again.
I'm not sure where you are located (I'm in Vegas) but if you're interested in an office that does this treatment look up SpinalAid Centers of America (
www.spinalaid.com)
If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
