Occasionally, large acute herniated discs can cause cauda equina syndrome, which is best treated with emergency surgery. However, most patients undergo elective surgery if the radiating pain does not resolve after non-surgical treatment. The goal of surgical treatment is to improve the patient’s leg pain symptoms. When the patient’s primary symptom is back pain, there is no certainty that the symptoms will be relieved after surgery, and discectomy is not recommended. Indications for surgical treatment include: 1. The leg pain spreads below the knee joint and causes functional impairment, and the pain extent corresponds to the area of innervation of a nerve root. 2. The presence of nerve root tension, which may or may not be accompanied by neurological dysfunction. 3, The pain is not relieved after 4-6 weeks of non-surgical treatment. 4, The site of compression revealed by imaging (preferably MRI) can explain the clinical presentation and pain distribution of the patient.