The bones that form the spine—your vertebrae—are cushioned by small, spongy discs. When these discs are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. But when a disc is damaged, it may bulge or break open. This is called a herniated disc. It may also be called a slipped or ruptured disc.

A herniated disc doesn't always cause symptoms. But when it presses on nerve roots, it can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the area of the body where the nerve travels.

If the herniated disc is in the lower back, it can cause pain and numbness in the buttock and down the leg. This is called sciatica (say "sy-AT-ih-kuh"). Sciatica is the most common symptom of a herniated disc in the low back.

Usually a herniated disc will heal on its own over time.

The most common surgeries are:

Your doctor may recommend a rehabilitation program after surgery, which can include physical therapy and home exercises.

Most herniated discs heal after a few months of nonsurgical treatment. This treatment can include:

• A short period of rest.
• Medicine for pain relief, including pain pills, muscle relaxants, and steroid shots.
• Physical therapy.
• An exercise program prescribed by a doctor.

About half of people with a herniated disc in the low back recover within 1 month. And within 6 months, most people recover. Only 10 out of 100 eventually have surgery.²

If you are getting better after at least 4 weeks of nonsurgical treatment, that's a good sign that your body will continue to heal without surgery. Often the body reabsorbs the material from the disc, which helps the pain go away. This process is called resorption.

Surgery works well for many people but not for everyone.

A study called SPORT randomly assigned about 500 people to two groups. Some people had surgery, and some did not. The study found that after 2 years most people felt better and were able to be active whether they had surgery or not. People who had surgery were slightly more likely to feel better. But the difference wasn’t big enough to prove that one treatment is better than the other.³

Another study followed about 500 people over 10 years. Some people had surgery, and some did not. This study showed that people who started with medium to very bad pain tended to feel better sooner if they had surgery. But after 5 to 10 years, the number of people in both groups who were able to do their daily activities was about the same whether they had surgery or not.^{4, 5}

Some people decide to have surgery because they need to go back to work or to their other activities as soon as possible. If your job doesn't require you to be very active, you can probably go back to work 2 to 4 weeks after surgery. If your job is physically demanding, you'll need 8 to 12 weeks.

Most people have no problems with back surgery, the most common surgery for herniated discs. But like most surgeries, there are some risks:

• There is a slight risk of damaging nerves or the spine during surgery.
• Some people form a lot of scar tissue in the area of the surgery. That tissue can press against nerves and cause pain.
• There is some risk of infection, which may cause more damage. An infection may require antibiotics and another surgery.
• Serious side effects of anesthesia are uncommon but can include trouble breathing, heart attack, stroke, and even death.

Your doctor might recommend surgery for your herniated disc if:

• You have very bad leg pain, numbness, or weakness (sciatica) that keeps you from being able to do your daily activities.
• Your leg symptoms do not get better with at least 4 weeks of nonsurgical treatment.
• Your symptoms are getting worse.
• You need to get better quickly because of your job.
• Tests show that your herniated disc can be treated with surgery.
• You are able to follow a rehabilitation program for a number of weeks after surgery.