Maybe I am fortunate. I'm almost 63 now, 10 years ago I was diagnosed with a herninated disc after a fall with a packfull of camera gear. Two trips to the chiropractor & I was 90%.
I continue with numness in the left thigh & heel. However I do several hundred stomach crunches per week & a stretch which pulls the right knee to left side of chest & so with the other side. I backpack with no problem at all. It is when leaning forward at a table for a minute that some pain surfaces, so I don't lean forward at tables very much.