Disclaimer, this isn’t medical advice, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t know anything specific about your back issues.
If you stop loading your back altogether, you will make the supporting musculature weaker. I’m not saying you need to squat heavy, but I’d work to find some way to load and strengthen without pain. glute bridges, pull throughs, belt squats, reverse hyper. I’d find something that makes it at least not hurt, and start with very light pump stuff. Then, if you want to, build up. I personally would also work on core and stability as much as possible. If you have something wrong with the bone structure, I’d personally want all the muscles that stabilize it as strong as possible.
A herniation (depending on severity) isn’t necessarily all that bad. Most serious lifters have some, including a-symptomatic ones. Don’t think it’s the end of the world.