Nowadays, herniated lumbar discs plague many people. It is a common disease and the main cause of lumbar and leg pain, often causing a lot of pain to the patients’ life and work. During the consultation the doctor always asked us to take an x-ray, and when we were discharged from the hospital we were always told not to sleep in a bed that was too soft, and although we did not understand, we did what the doctor told us to do. Today I will answer the questions in your mind. A. Can ordinary X-rays illuminate lumbar disc herniation? As we all know, ordinary X-ray film can clearly show the bones, so the vertebrae of the lumbar spine, small joints, spinous processes, vertebral plates and other bony structures can often be shown. The lumbar intervertebral disc is not a bony structure, it is composed of the fibrous ring and the nucleus pulposus, and these structures do not show up on ordinary X-rays. Therefore, strictly speaking, it is not possible to diagnose a lumbar disc herniation on ordinary X-rays alone. Then why is it necessary to take ordinary X-rays for patients with lumbar disc herniation? First, the X-ray examination of the lumbar spine can not only understand the overall arrangement of the lumbar spine of the patient, whether there is osteoporosis or hyperplasia, but also exclude some of the lumbar spine tuberculosis, lumbar spine tumor, spinal slippage, fracture and other diseases caused by lumbar pain. Secondly, although the lumbar discs cannot be seen directly on the X-ray, the changes in the morphology of the lumbar spine caused by lumbar disc herniation can be shown on the X-ray, such as whether there is scoliosis of the lumbar spine and whether the lumbar anterior convexity has disappeared. Moreover, the gap between the two vertebrae can be seen on the lumbar spine X-ray, and this gap is actually the lumbar intervertebral disc. Since the lumbar discs do not show up on ordinary X-rays, the X-rays can only see the intervertebral space, and when the discs between the vertebrae protrude backwards, the intervertebral space between the vertebrae becomes narrower. Experienced orthopedic surgeons can also analyze whether there is a herniated disc in the lumbar spine based on changes such as the narrowing of the intervertebral space in front and the widening of the space at the back. Generally speaking, if there is a herniated disc, there is often a lateral curvature and a decrease or loss of physiological curvature in the lumbar spine, and the vertebral space will narrow accordingly or change from the normal front-to-back narrowing to front-to-back equal width or front-to-back narrowing. Old lumbar disc herniation is often accompanied by calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the corresponding position and hyperplasia of the posterior edge of the vertebral body. All these have great significance in guiding clinical treatment. At present, there is also the use of lumbar disc herniation imaging with X-ray examination, this method is both economic and accurate. Some statistics show that its diagnostic value for lumbar disc herniation is even higher than that of CT examination. Therefore, when a patient is suspected of having a lumbar disc herniation, the first thing that must be done is to take a plain X-ray. Why should patients with lumbar disc herniation sleep on a hard bed? The occurrence and regression of lumbar disc herniation has a certain relationship with weight bearing and weight. That is, after strain and rupture of the fibrous ring, the pressure of weight-bearing and weight can make the nucleus pulposus protrude from the ruptured fibrous ring, stimulating and compressing the nerve root, causing inflammatory exudation and edema of the nerve root, aggravating the damage of the nucleus pulposus to the nerve root and causing symptoms of lumbar pain. At this time, bed rest, especially hard bed rest, can eliminate the pressure of weight and weight on the intervertebral disc, which helps to release the contraction and spasm of lumbar muscles and ligaments and restore the original balance of lumbar muscles and ligaments, and the protruding nucleus pulposus also dehydrates and shrinks, which promotes the absorption of inflammatory edema and exudation of nerve roots, reduces the compression of nerve roots by the protruding nucleus pulposus, and relieves the symptoms. Therefore, resting on a rigid bed is a basic principle in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. If traction therapy is used when resting on a hard bed, it can increase the vertebral space and generate negative pressure on the intervertebral discs, which is conducive to the herniated discs being retracted, the treatment will be more effective. Our residents use many kinds of bed equipment, a variety of beds have their different advantages and disadvantages. But no matter what bed furniture, as long as it is too soft bed furniture that is easy to form in the middle of low, high around the bed under the pressure of human body weight, will affect the normal physiological flexion of the lumbar spine, resulting in contraction of the lumbar muscles, ligaments, tension and spasm, thus aggravating the clinical symptoms. People can choose bed furniture according to their personal habits, climate and economic conditions, but the chosen bed furniture should keep the normal physiological convexity of the lumbar vertebrae in the supine position and keep the lumbar vertebrae from lateral bending when lying on the side. The more ideal and economic choice is a wooden bed, and the bed board on the appropriate thickness, soft and hard mattress or foam mattress. At the same time, to ensure sufficient bed time, so as to minimize or release the contraction, tension and spasm of the lumbar muscles. In addition, bed rest is not absolute immobility, can be appropriate exercise in bed, especially functional exercise, can avoid muscle wasting atrophy and prevent nerve root adhesions, is extremely helpful for future recovery from the disease after getting out of bed.