Recent advances in the treatment of ruptured lumbar intervertebral disks

It should be obvious from the magnitude of the problem, its persistence in our society, and the failures of our treatment methods to date, though much improved over our past efforts, that much remains to be learned and understood about low back pain and sciatica. The causes, the treatments, and the methods of prevention all need to be researched further. The intellectually honest, inquiring clinician has an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution in this area.