It is my understanding that with discitus, you'd not be able to walk around without SEVERE pain. Your description of lumbar stiffness sounds much less severe. Having said that, I'm glad that your doctors are being thorough and ruling out the possibilities. Your blood work should tell the story.
Fusion is where they take multiple vertebrae and 'weld' them together into one. I hope you'll have the opportunity to evaluate your options for motion preservation techniques, including artificial disc replacement (ADR), before you have surgery.
Do your homework, make informed decisions. Good luck, all the best,
Mark
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