I have DDD and 2 herinated lmbar disks. These have kept me out of work for over 2 years now and I was on a rollercoaster with Pain Managment.
I finally got the medication that removed the pain and relaxed the spasms to the point that I could start using my total gym on the lowest setting. It works great, it feels like a midevil rack but it streaches every muscle in you back, legs, shoulders, and arms. I did the minimum routine they recommend and the addped some of the palaties moves into it. I am now on the second level and my back muscles are now holding in the L5 vertebra that was constantly slipping causing a pain kevel of 8 for weeks at a time before I or the chiropractor could get it to move again back into place.
The total gym I have is the 1700 that is the cheap version sold in this area by Dicks Sporting goods. It is a far cry from the 2,000 oneon TV but it does the job and most parts are availble at your local hardware store