Sciatica and pain Dam Back .. Help

I had pretty much the same symptoms years ago and my family doctor sent me for a cat scan and it proved I had 2 herniated discs so he sent me for a steroid injection in my back. That lasted about 6 months then the pain came back so he sent me to a back specialist....or so he thought. That quack did an x-ray and said I had nothing wrong just needed physical therapy in his p.t. office. (he owned the whole building,x-ray lab, p.t. office, and dr. offices too) I told him he was full of **** since the cat scan had shown otherwise and where he could put his p.t. I went back to my family dr. and he agreed with me and sent me to another back specialist. This doctor was very good and told me he didn't like to do surgery only as a last resort. For 9 years I had 1 to 3 injections a year until they quit working and he said it was time for surgery since the injections were no longer working. He did a great job I have had a couple of flare-ups in the 15 years since surgery but I am pretty much pain free in my back still. Now my knees and right hip are a different story. This comes with old age and working on concrete floors for 43 years.