muscle atrophy in rt leg

I am a young active 51yr old male. I have had low back disc rupture problems for the last 20 yrs or so. I have not opted for surgery due to my active lifestyle and the transient symptoms that only manifested during certain seasons of my life. However about 6 yrs ago, I had some intense leg pain during a back spasm event. Then suddenly the pain stopped and  I began to notice a loss of muscle tone in my rt leg above the knee.I was told by a medical professional that the nerve had been damaged and that nerves do not regenerate. I am now far from symmetrical and am experiencing much knee pain on my rt leg probably due to the loss of muscle mass in that leg. Is there any hope for my condition or is this a spiraling consequence due to my low back problem? Where do I go from here? Knee fixing or disc fixing?