Am I stuck with taking pain medicine the rest of my life?

I have had four lower lumbar back surgeries. The first was in 1982, before endoscopy surgery had been invented. My surgeon explained the surgery procedure, but he failed to tell me what to expect in my later life. The surgeon cut all the muscles on the right side of my spine, in order to reach my herniated disc. That surgery healed normally, with the exception of my cut muscles. They have never healed and they cause a great deal of 24 hour pain in my lower back. Today, a surgeon advised me that I have massive scar tissue that has formed in this area. Removal of the scar tissue is not an option. The tissue will only grow back. Question: am I stuck with this pain for the rest of my life? Has anyone had a similar surgery and how are you handling your pain?