main reasons for workforce losses. Disc herniation is important as it both causes symptoms and requires prolonged treatment. Intervertebral discs are 23 formations existing between adjacent surfaces of the vertebral bodies from the axis to the sacrum.1 The area surrounding the nucleus pulposus consists of fibers, which include a number of chondrocytes. Therefore, the tissue is known as "fibroca...

To determine the involvement of cathepsins G and L in the mechanism of spontaneous resorption of herniated intervertebral discs, localization of these cathepsins in this process was examined immunohistochemically using a rat model of autologous transplantation of coccygeal discs. Rat coccygeal discs were resected and autotransplanted into the subcutaneous space of the skin of the back. Paraffin...

Patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR) were treated with intradiscal injection of steroids (IDIS) and/or selective nerve root block (SNRB) at our hospital. We retrospectively report the outcomes of these nonsurgical treatments for CR. 161 patients who were followed up for >2months were enrolled in this study. Patients' clinical manifestations were classified as arm pain, arm numbness, neck a...

Microsurgery for lumbar disc herniation that requires surgical intervention has been well described. The methods vary from traditional open discectomy to minimally invasive techniques. All need adequate preanesthetic preparation of patients as general anesthesia is required for the procedure, and nerve monitoring is necessary to prevent iatrogenic nerve injury. Conventional surgical techniques ...

BACKGROUND Acupotomy aims to reduce pressure on the nerve, improve surrounding blood circulation, and recover the kinetic state of soft tissue in treating lumbar disc herniation. Although several previous studies have suggested the potential use and substantial benefits of acupotomy, there is still insufficient evidence regarding this technique. This trial is designed to determine if acupotomy ...

IVD degeneration occurs frequently in adult humans and is associated with low back pain and disc herniation. Despite enormous clinical and research efforts, the mechanism of IVD degeneration is still not fully understood. Evidence has indicated that programmed cell death (PCD) plays an important role in some human degenerative diseases. Three members of the TNF-a ligand superfamily, Fas ligand,...

Herniated intervertebral disc tissue has been shown to produce a number of proinflammatory mediators and cytokines, but there have been no similar studies using discs from patients with discogenic low back pain. We have compared the levels of production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in disc tissue from patients undergoing discectomy for sciatica (63) ...

Degeneration of the intervertebral disc from a combination of factors can result in herniation, particularly at the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels. The presence of pain, radiculopathy and other symptoms depends on the site and degree of herniation. A detailed history and careful physical examination, supplemented if necessary by magnetic resonance imaging, can differentiate a herniated lumbar disc from ...

Introduction Many patients with extruded lumbar disc herniation require surgical intervention but some neurological symptoms of intervertebral disc herniation may often improve with conservative treatment. Patients usually try various treatment methods ranging from alternative treatments to surgery1,2. Recently, a new thermomechanical massage device has emerged, primarily in Asian countries, wi...