Suggest Treatment For Back Pain Due To Thinning Of Spinal Disc

My lower back hurts, but it seems to hurt worse on the left center of my back. I know I having some thinning disc but I still want to be active without hurting all the time. I'm 43 and played football, basketball, baseball, and rode dirt bikes my whole life, so I know I've punished my back over the years. What can I do to help and does it sound like the nerves are pressured or is it a bulging disc?