Spontaneous resorption of a large lumbar disc herniation within 4 months.

A 48-year-old man presented in March 2013 with a 20-day history of low back and right leg pain with no obvious cause. There was no history of surgical trauma. Neurological examination showed no deficits. A straight leg-raising test was positive at 30° on the right side. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score for low back pain was 4 points (1). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine suggested the presence of a large intervertebral disc herniation at L4/L5, a typical site for this abnormality (Fig. 1). Surgery to remove the herniated disc was recommended, but the patient declined. Consequently, the patient was treated conservatively, which included bed rest, with steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 2 months and oral administration of Chinese medicine for 4 months. In July 2013, he was re-examined and had no complaints, with a JOA score of 28 points. A second MRI study showed com-