What diseases should be distinguished from lumbar disc herniation in the elderly? Lumbar disc herniation in the elderly is a common and multi-infarct disease, but it is not the same as saying that lumbar leg pain is necessarily a lumbar disc herniation. The following several diseases can also appear as low back and leg pain and should be distinguished: 1. Lumbar supraspinous and interspinous ligamentitis. The pain symptoms are obvious when the patient bends over, lighter when he extends over, and the local pressure pain is obvious. x-ray, CT, MRI examination results should have no positive findings; 2. 3rd transverse process syndrome. Pain may radiate to the ipsilateral thigh, or calf. Painful symptoms increase during or after lumbar activities, but coughing or sneezing and abdominal muscle exertion have no effect on pain. The local pressure pain of the 3rd transverse process of the lumbar spine is obvious and causes radiating pain to the ipsilateral lower limb at the same time. 3. Posterior branch of lumbar nerve pain. Pain is felt at all times and affects sleep. The symptoms disappear when treated with local injection of the posterior branch nerve.