re: Herniated disc L5: Orthopedist or neurologist help

Well, it extends below the knee by about 2" and the onset was after a weight lifting accident. I had nagging lower back pain that didn't go away, then severe hip/sciatic pain a few months later that was disabling. MRI of my 16 year old spine revealed two herniated disks. I'm pretty familiar with the normal finding of the herniated disk in the older patient, but in a young person whose pain stems from injury with significant imaging findings, it's much safer to call that the cause. I do have random paresthesias of the same foot, but I've been relatively spared of neurological findings (other than classic nerve pain and parenthesis). Very rarely, but occasionally, I get the same symptoms on the other side.