Great article – thanks to Dr. C. Liebenson for the share.

From the Journal Pain Physician: Incidence of Spontaneous Resorption of
Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Meta-Analysis.

Due to the natural course of lumbar disc herniations (LDH) patients should consider conservative treatment before surgery.

“There is a general consensus among contemporary orthopedists
that, for most patients with LDH, an initial
trial of conservative treatment is preferable to surgical
intervention.”

Source: Zhong, M., et al. (2017). Incidence of Spontaneous Resorption of Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Meta-Analysis. Pain Physician, 20, E45-E52