<s>[INST] I have a slipped disc (clearly visible on a recent xray and c-t scan) which probably has been with me for many years, I am male and now 71. Over the past six months the pain has got worse and I am now unable to walk for more than a few minutes without the pain returning; and then I have to sit to relieve the pain. After a few minutes I can carry on for another short walk. I fear the condition is getting worse. I have been advised that an operation would fix the problem, but I am anxious about this as sometimes I have heard that such operations can make matters works. Is there an alternative way to tackle this problem? [/INST] I feel surgical decompression is the gold standard of treatment for your problem. with surgery by a expert hand in optimal body condition, satisfactory anciliary preoperative investigations in hand,result is usually rewarding. </s>