The lumbosacral spine should be photographed in frontal and lateral views, and if necessary, in right and left oblique views. Although the X-ray signs cannot be used as a basis for the diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation, they can be used to exclude some disorders such as lumbar tuberculosis, osteoarthritis, fracture, tumor and spinal slippage. In severe cases or atypical cases, special examinations such as spinal iodography, CT scan and MRI can be considered to clarify the diagnosis and the site of herniation when there is difficulty in diagnosis. Patients with no obvious abnormalities in the above examinations are not completely excluded from lumbar disc herniation. In most patients with lumbar disc herniation, the correct diagnosis can be made based on clinical symptoms or signs. The main symptoms and signs are: (1) lumbar pain combined with “sciatica” radiating to the calf or foot, positive straight leg raise test; (2) obvious pressure points lateral to the interspinous ligament of lumbar 4-5 or lumbar 5 sacral 1, along with radiating pain to the calf or foot; (3) decreased skin sensation in the anterolateral or posterolateral calf, decreased toe muscle strength, decreased or absent Achilles tendon reflex on the affected side. X-rays can exclude other bony lesions.