How long to wait before going to hospital

Title says it all. How long should I try dealing with sudden onset acute pain before giving and calling an ambulance?

Symptoms started about an hour and a half ago. I was sweeping, bent down for the dust pan, and bam. The sharpest back pain Ive had in my life.

It's the extreme lower left of my back not too far above the hips. Pain radiates up, but not down. Moving left leg while in bed exacerbates the pain.

I tore a muscle in my back back in college (some 14 years ago) and this pain is so much worse. Tried to do a lumbar roll a little while ago so I could use the restroom and the pain hasn't stopped since :/ even just standing there was sending waves up pain up my left side

Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions

Edit I am 34, slightly overweight, and work an office job. I walk about 2 hours on the weekends for health and light shopping, but know that is far from an active lifestyle

Update, 1/22/25 - I went to the hospital Tuesday morning 1/21/25. After a number of tests and a lot of meds, it seems I have a bad ruptured disc. I was given prescriptions for pain meds (oxycodone), muscle relaxers (zanaflex), steroids(methylprednisolone), high dose acetaminophen, and lidocaine patches. I will probably be starting PT next week after my meds run out. To anyone who's in a situation like me. If you can't move, you can't move. Don't be afraid to seek help. Only you can judge your story, and from this limited experience, hospitals are very willing to help.

I appreciate everyone sharing their stories, and their experiences, but if it weren't for the pain meds and muscle relaxers I wouldn't be able to stand and halfway function today, even with my remote work job.

This sub put an unwarranted fear in me that I was overreacting when my nurse and one of my other doctors (they work in a group of 3, student, primary, and attending if I remember correctly) thought it could require surgery based off of my reactions. I've been told that if everything is back to normal in two months to follow up with a specialist which they already wrote a recommendation for. I hope that these warnings come from a place of good intentions, but they caused much more harm than good. If I would have went Monday night I could have worked Tuesday thanks to the pain meds and muscle relaxers.

So again. We all know our own stories best. If you are past your limits reach out for the help that you can. As someone with no PCP and no local assistance, the hospital gave me exceptional care, and 1000% more than what this sub made me think I would get.