[Course of conservatively treatment herniation of the lumbar disc. Radicular deficits and computed tomography findings.]

In Western industrial countries, low back pain is one of the most frequent causes of illness. Between the 4th and 5th decades of life approximately 80% of adults complain of low back pain, lasting for fairly long periods. About 10% of this population must undergo disc surgery once during life. Several authors have discribed good results for lumbar disc surgery in 55%-86% of their cases. Few control data are available, however, on patients with radiologically proven herniation of the disc regression, who were treated conservatively. Their observations indicate that regression of herniation of a lumbar disc is possible using conservative therapy exclusively. A study was therefore carried out on 43 patients with lumbar disc abnormalities, as demonstrated by spinal computed tomography (CT). Initially, 38 of them showed a herniation and 5 protrusion of the disc plus further neurological deficits and radicular pain syndromes. The subjects were followed up for over 20 months (mean) and monitored by CT in order to check the possibility that the CT findings, neurological deficits, and pain would regress a lengthy period of therapy. The results were the following: Initially, all patients complained of severe low back pain and sciatica, leading to subsequent treatment. At the time of follow-up, 15 of them still reported remittent or chronic low back pain, 9 remittent, and 16 chronic sciatic pain but of much less intensity. Before treatment, 40 patients had neurological deficits, whereas at the time of follow-up, only 24 patients still had deficits. In 2 patients the symptoms had not changed and in 2 others slight deterioration was observed. CT control examinations showed clear regression in the extent of disc herniation in 15 patients, in 18 a moderate decrease, and in 9 cases the CT findings had not changed. A favorable tendency towards regression was observed in disc herniations at the level of L5-S1 and in cases showing sequestration of the disc. Herniations of the disc at higher levels between L4-5 and L3-4 or a lateral herniation, reaching the intervertebral foramen, showed on unfavorable prognosis.