People turn to ADR surgery because their condition has got very bad and is significantly affecting their lifestyle but do not want to choose fusion. Ultimately however, as the disc(s) wear out there is a point where ADR is no longer an option. You'll know when you get towards the end of the road.
If your back is just hurting and you have some sciatica there is a lot you can do by going to a gym and building your core, back and abdominals and avoiding any heavy weight bearing exercise. In addition working on your flexibility (yoga, Pilates, stretching) will go a long way in addressing the sciatica.
Unless the degenerative condition of your disc(s) is within a grade III categorisation *and* you are experiencing significant symptoms, you should be focussing on conservative treatment if you have not done so already.
Personally I found the nerve root injections did nothing for me, decompression surgery did nothing and effectively put me back. Ultimately I was able to continue for a few years with significant improvement after focussing on core strength training and flexibility over a period of 12 months. After a few years passed things turned for the worse and earlier this year I had to consider if I was prepared for fusion if ADR was not an option. I also had to pay for the treatment out of my own pocket as I had a pre-existing condition and this treatment was not available on the British NHS.
Prior to seeing my consultant who perform d the surgery previous advice was leave it until you need to fuse the vertebrae. The advice I received was from consultants who did not perform ADR surgery and whose only encounter with artificial discs was in removing older failed mechanical devices and hinges.
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