Sometimes it's very quick. A sudden turn, a wrong movement, heavy lifting while bending over - and suddenly it's there: the unbearable pain in the back. If this pain radiates to the arms, buttocks or legs or if there is numbness in the hands or feet, the doctor often discovers a herniated disc during the MRI examination. Do you need an operation now?

"Not in the vast majority of cases," reassures the Munich orthopedist and spine specialist Dr. Michael Schubert (46). “Only about one in ten patients actually needs surgery. However, the majority of herniated discs resolve on their own with painkillers, injections and physical therapy.”

Read the complete article from the pharmacy newspaper "Fortuna-Apotheke" as a PDF: