[Maria]

Jim,
Soft tissue according to Wikipedia:

In anatomy, soft tissues are the tissues that connect, support, or surround other structures and organs of the body, not being bone. Soft tissue includes tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, fibrous tissues, fat, and synovial membranes (which are connective tissue), and muscles, nerves and blood vessels (which are not connective tissue).[1]

It is sometimes defined by what it is not. Soft tissue has been defined as "nonepithelial, extraskeletal mesenchyme exclusive of the reticuloendothelial system and glia".[2]

When I think of soft tissue involvement as a response to disc material leaking I think of the muscle spasms that I get that stop me dead in my tracks or nearly so. I think that is why Toradol injectons work so well to help stop this type of pain for me as this is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication and it does work well for my severe muscle spasms (or what I consider a soft tissue response). Still the latter part of copied Wiki def makes much sense... "it is sometimes defined by what it is not..." and that reminds me of using "scar tissue" as a definitive diagnosis or explanation of all low back pain for persons that have had spine surgery (and for failed spine surgery).

I still think it's worth further diagnostics to evaluate if there is one or more possible pain generators and if you might be able to address that then would you at least be able to reduce your pain in half? Even that would be acceptable to me I think especially if the reduction in pain was a chronic as the pain sounds like it is.

I like your comments following their findings which do sound reasonably accurate enough but maybe not complete enough to accept especially with the level of pain you're experiencing on a daily basis.

That's my opinion off the top of my head.