Having has a discectomy as recently as 2 weeks ago I'm fairly up to speed on this.
It does sound as if you may have trapped the sciatic nerve which could be caused by a herniated disc. My best advice would be go and see your GP and get him to send you for an MRI.
Back in Feb I had 9 of the worst weeks of my life when I was in absolute agony 24 hours a day, couldn't get out of bed, nothing. I wouldn't wish that sort of pain on anyone, and it's best you get it checked with an MRI sooner rather than later.
According to both my spinal consultant and a pain management specialist, once a disc has herniated it will never go back to the way it was without surgery.
You can however if the damage is not too bad (and this sounds like your case,) prevent it from getting worse with physio, core strenghtening and pilates exercises.
You do of course need to get it properly diagnosed before you can do this.
Hope you get it fixed soon.

So does anyone ride with any sort of back protection?

I'm very concerned after having had the surgery about ending up with another problem.
I've been considering the 661 core saver, as I'd far rather have people looking at me thinking I'm over protected than end up in agony again. Does anyone have any experience with this or similiar products, and is it going to be worth it?

Granted not as ridiculous but mine went getting out of the bath back in mid feb.
After 7 weeks of agony on a cocktail of opiates, dicoflenic, diazempam I had a steriodal epidural. While completing this they managed to puncture the spinal dura so had to have a blood patch a couple of days later to fix that.
Long story short the bulge on the disc was far to big to have gone away with the steriods, and on the 16th August I went under the knife for a discectomy. Still recovering and will be for another month, but the pain has gone at last 😀
The only good thing to have come of all this… I somehow decided that a bike might help me recover between the steroids and the op, and well here I am and at the moment I'm addicted and can't wait to be healed enough to get out again 8)

Hi, hopefully you'll have received my email through your site and I'll be hearing from you soon.