Owens RK, et al. - Authors sought to assess if the cases having lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with substantial back pain improved with decompression alone. They noted statistically significant improvements in back pain, leg pain, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 3 months and 12 months after the operation. Subjects with LDH who had substantial back pain could be counseled to expect improvement in their back pain scores 12 months after a discectomy.