What tests are available to diagnose lumbar herniation? No single test can diagnose lumbar disc herniation. CT examination shows the site, size and shape of the herniated disc and the image of the nerve roots and dural sac being displaced by the pressure, as well as the hypertrophy of the vertebral plate and ligamentum flavum, hypertrophy of the small joints, narrowing of the spinal canal and lateral saphenous fossa, etc., and the three-dimensional technology can reconstruct the three-dimensional shape of the spinal canal and root canal. The three-dimensional technique can reconstruct the three-dimensional shape of the spinal canal and root canal. In addition, myelography with water-soluble contrast agent combined with CT examination can improve the accuracy of diagnosis.MRI examination is important for the diagnosis of intervertebral disc herniation. By using sagittal images at different levels and multi-directional images of the involved disc, the morphology of the herniated disc and its relationship with the surrounding tissues can be observed. For patients who cannot undergo MRI, myelography can also be performed with high accuracy. Why does my doctor want me to have X-rays, CT, and MRI, but not just one? X-rays, CT, and MRI have their own advantages and disadvantages and are complementary. Patients suffering from lumbar disc herniation will first go to the hospital for X-ray examination to exclude other bony lesions. For patients with lumbar disc herniation, CT examination is considered when bone abnormalities (narrow fracture, epiphyseal dissection) are suspected. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an examination method for soft tissue (disc herniation site, direction, and spinal nerve root compression). In addition to clinical history and physical examination, MRI has been a common examination method for diagnosing lumbar disc herniation. Can the diagnosis of lumbar herniation be confirmed only by taking a film? The diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation can not be confirmed by X-ray examination. The diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation can only be made after comprehensive consideration of clinical symptoms, physical examination and imaging findings, and after differentiation from other diseases. Does a normal imaging examination necessarily exclude lumbar herniation? The diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation should be based on a combination of clinical symptoms (lumbar pain and lower limb radiating pain), physical examination (signs corresponding to nerve damage, sensorimotor disorders, and abnormalities in urination and defecation), and imaging examination (showing the location, direction, and degree of lumbar disc herniation). A normal imaging examination cannot completely exclude lumbar disc herniation. Since imaging examinations all have a certain rate of false positives, the false positive rate of MRI examination for the diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation (less than 10%) is very low.