[Lumbosacral radicular syndrome: good chance for recovery even without MRI diagnosis and treatment].

Two men aged 32 and 39 years had had sciatica for one week and 12 weeks, respectively. In both MRI revealed a prolapsed disc. The first patient recovered spontaneously after 9 weeks, the other recovered after discectomy. After a clinical diagnosis of sciatica, the question arises when additional diagnostic procedures are called for. This question is closely related to the treatment of sciatica. Spontaneous recovery occurs in many patients with sciatica whereas non-invasive therapies including bed rest show a relative lack of effectiveness. While surgical intervention is an effective therapy, the high rate of surgical procedures for disc herniation in the Netherlands compared with most other industrialised countries calls for a critical appraisal of indications for surgery.