Lower back pain.

I've had pretty bad sciatica for about two years now, but recently it's gotten much worse.

I do go to the gym, and I'm not even sure if the sciatica was caused by lifting because I had lower back pain even before I started working out. Sitting for long hours, bad posture, and all that used to give me back pain. It wasn't too bad though, until I tried doing some stretches and mobility exercises to get rid of the remaining pain. Instead, I somehow made it worse.

Recently it has been flaring up a lot. I even went to watch Dhurandhar, and after sitting through the movie for a few hours, my back was absolutely wrecked. Since then, sitting in pushback seats has been painful. Now whenever I go to the theater, I book a regular back-row seat so I can get up occasionally.

During my vacation, the sciatica got even worse because I was less active throughout the day, unlike in college. Then last week at the gym, I bent down to pick up dumbbells from the floor and injured my lower back again. I started feeling a bit better after a few days, so I tried another exercise that involved my back, and it flared up all over again. Today I tried doing some rehab exercises at home, and somehow that made it worse too.

I'm honestly scared to see a doctor because I'm worried my parents will make me quit the gym, and lifting is something I'm really passionate about.

Has anyone here dealt with something similar? If so, what ended up helping? Any orthopedic doctors or physiotherapists who could share their thoughts would also be greatly appreciated.