How is lumbar disc herniation treated?

The same as lumbar disc herniation, due to the length of the disease, the degree of herniation, herniation site, herniation direction, age of onset, complications, etc., its treatment may be completely different. There are many treatment methods for lumbar disc herniation, which can be summarized as three kinds: I. Conservative treatment: including medication, physical therapy (such as physiotherapy, traction, manipulation, exercise, etc.), acupoint injection therapy, acupuncture, small needle knife, and even some patients can be clinically cured by bed rest at home. The advantage is safe and painless, but the disadvantage is that the course of treatment is relatively long, and because of the inability to effectively lift the mechanical compression of the nerve root may recur, so it has its limitations. It should be said that the vast majority of patients can be clinically cured by conservative treatment. Second, surgical treatment: a very small number of patients with lumbar disc herniation must use surgical treatment to remove the pain. Surgery is characterized by reliable efficacy, thorough treatment and short treatment course, but it is relatively more damaging, carries certain risks, is more expensive, may cause serious complications, and there is a certain percentage of patients with failed surgery syndrome. The absolute indications for surgery are: acute attacks with obvious cauda equina symptoms. That is, the patient suddenly appears severe sciatica, sensory impairment, lower limb weakness, urinary and fecal dysfunction, and needs urgent surgery to remove the intervertebral disc. Third, interventional therapy: including intervertebral disc collagenase injection, ozone ablation, radiofrequency thermo-coagulation, laser vaporization, plasma therapy, and so on. Between conservative and surgical treatment, it has the advantages of partial surgical treatment, which can lift or relieve the pressure of the herniated intervertebral disc on the nerves, and also has the advantages of conservative treatment, which has little influence on the patients, is minimally invasive, and has the effects of anti-inflammation and promotion of microcirculation. It is minimally invasive, anti-inflammatory and promotes microcirculation, and has the effect of “immediate effect” on some patients. This method is effective, fast, short treatment, safe, less pain, relatively small cost, but need to have a certain technical equipment hospitals and doctors with certain experience. It should be said that each of the above methods can cure some of the patients, but which method can not cure all patients, and even in some cases, some therapies are contraindicated. Therefore, the correct attitude is to choose the appropriate treatment according to the clinical symptoms, signs, duration of the disease, imaging tests, not one-sided exaggeration, superstition, or subjective resistance to a particular therapy, the most important thing is to identify the evidence-based treatment.