L5-S1 compression is a challenging issue, not unusual.
Basically you can think of it as a place where the resonant frequency changes. The spine has one frequency and energy moves up and down it relatively unimpeded. The pelvis (and skull) has another frequency much lower resonant frequency as it is much larger and denser. Energy moving down the spine hits S1 and is reflected back up the spine. This can create standing waves and areas with really quite a lot of energy caught in them. We are basically not well engineered at this spot, or rather developing this joint is an evolutionary work in progress.
A couple of things that may be helpful are stretches for the legs and hips. The looser this area is the less energy will get caught at S1.
Another is a Gravity Swing. If your doc says its OK, you will at least get some relief by hanging in this thing. I know people who use it a couple of hours a day both remedially and as a preventive precaution. You can work, listen to music etc.
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I am sure you are already using some form of back support. Part of how this works is that is engages the guts as part of the energy transfer between the upper and lower body, so it should be quite tight. You might consider adding magnets along the spine:
I am sure you are already using some form of back support. Part of how this works is that is engages the guts as part of the energy transfer between the upper and lower body, so it should be quite tight. You might consider adding magnets along the spine:
If you tell your Doc this he might loose it, so I think you would be better of just trying it. Part of what is going on is that the muscles are constantly getting signals to contract as a protective response from the injured / inflamed area. I often use magnets to weaken a muscle in my practice (I have no real understanding of why this works). It seems that magnets (south pole) placed on the muscles running along the spine inhibit their firing, decompressing the inflamed area. Some people swear this therapy worked when nothing else worked, other people say nothing changes.
It is also probable that in addition to your back muscles being overly tight, your Abdominal muscles are weak. I find this pattern in almost everyone with back pain. So any activity you can think of to activate / strengthen your Abdominals without adding stress to your back you should try, even if it is just visualizing doing crunches. This is one of the things I would focus on if I could get to you.
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