Case Report of Lumbar Disc Herniation Resorption

A 36-year-old female presented with severe lower back pain and left leg pain for 2 days following a cough. She exhibited typical symptoms and signs of sciatica with intense pain. CT imaging revealed a large disc herniation with significant nerve compression. As the patient refused surgery, the treatment approach involved bed rest, acupuncture, massage, oral Chinese medicine, and topical applications.

After one week of treatment, the intense pain significantly alleviated. Twenty days later, the patient was able to get out of bed, and by the end of the month, the pain had mostly subsided, though some discomfort persisted in her left leg. Upon follow-up after six months, the patient had fully recovered and returned to work. A recheck of CT and MRI showed that the large disc herniation had largely disappeared, with no further nerve compression.

So, What Happened to the Herniated Disc?

The reason for this improvement is a phenomenon called disc resorption, where the herniated disc is reabsorbed by the body through immune responses, vascularization, phagocytosis by inflammatory cells, and dehydration mechanisms. This type of recovery is not unique, as there have been other similar cases.

Conclusion

This case suggests that not all disc herniations require surgical removal. The human body has self-healing and self-regulating capabilities. With the appropriate treatment measures and the body's inherent ability to adjust, full recovery from disc herniation is possible.

Keywords: Lumbar disc herniation, resorption