Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation: treatment by rotational manipulation.

We describe the case of a patient with a lumbar disc herniation who underwent a course of side posture manipulation. Despite the appearance of an enormous central herniation on the CT scan, the patient improved considerable during only 2 wk of treatment. The disparity which so commonly exists between radiological and clinical findings is depicted in this case. Further, it is emphasized that manipulation has been shown to be an effective treatment for some patients with lumbar disc herniation. While complications of this form of treatment have been reported in the literature, such incidents are rare.