I was diagnosed today with lumbar disc prolapse with myelopathy. icd-9: 722.73. i am a 50 year old female. is this a big deal? i work retail.

It is a big deal: That can cause impingement of spinal nerves going to lower extremities. Since you are on your feet a lot gravity can cause more compression of the dice and the nerves.

Not necessarily: Back problems are very common, occurring in over 80 percent of the US population at some point in their lives. By the age of 50, over 50 percent of people will have some degree of " prolapsed" or degenerative disc disease as seen on an MRI. So the finding can cause pain and limitation in some and there are many treatment options; but the finding itself is not unusual or dangerous.