CLAIM:
Most cases of slipped discs, around 98%, do not require surgery and can be effectively treated through non-surgical methods like exercises, medication, and posture correction. Even severe cases, as shown through MRI examples, can fully recover without surgical intervention.
FACT:
Not all slipped discs require surgery—most cases improve with conservative treatment such as medication, physiotherapy, and exercise. However, the claim that “98%” do not need surgery is overstated; surgery may still be necessary in severe cases or when symptoms do not improve with non-surgical care.
In a viral YouTube Shorts posted by the ‘SanchetiHospitalPune’ channel, which has around 57K subscribers, a spine surgeon addresses a common concern around slipped discs and whether they always require surgical treatment.
In the short clip, Dr Ajay Kothari, a consultant spine surgeon at Sancheti Hospital, Pune, explains that not every slipped disc case needs surgery. Introducing himself in the video, he says, “every spine slip disc does not require surgery.” He adds that a majority of cases, “98% of the slip disc- may be cervical spine, may be lumbar spine”- can be treated without surgical intervention.
To support his point, Dr Kothari shares a patient example. Referring to MRI scans, he explains that a patient who had been advised surgery by multiple spine surgeons showed significant recovery through non-surgical methods. According to him, with “exercises, medicines and postural correction,” the patient improved within a few months, and a follow-up MRI showed that “the disc…has completely recovered.”
The Shorts video has amassed over 1.1 million views and more than 23,000 likes, drawing attention to the claim that most slipped disc cases do not require surgery.
Do all slipped discs require surgery? Here's what research says
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Available research suggests that most slipped disc cases can be managed without surgery, although outcomes may vary depending on severity and symptoms.
An earlier study on lumbar disc herniation found that conservative (non-surgical) treatment is effective for a large number of patients, especially those with mild to moderate nerve compression. As the study notes, “conservative management gives satisfactory results in a high proportion of patients… in the course of a few months.” While surgery may provide quicker symptom relief, the researchers caution that “the results of surgery often deteriorate in the long and very long term,” and recurrence of pain can occur in both surgical and non-surgical groups. The study recommends that “surgery usually should be undertaken if the patient does not respond after at least 2 months’ conservative treatment.”
Building on this, a 2013 prospective study tracking 89 patients with lumbar disc herniation reported that a majority improved without surgery. According to the findings, “seventy-two patients (81%) improved, while the other 17 (19%) needed surgery.” The study also observed sustained improvement over time, with “84.7% of the patients in the conservative group” showing good or excellent outcomes at a two-year follow-up. This reinforces the idea that many cases resolve with non-surgical care.
Further evidence comes from the large-scale Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT), which compared surgical and non-operative treatments. The study found that while carefully selected patients who underwent surgery showed greater improvement in some measures, the differences were not always significant. It noted that “these observed effects were relatively small and not statistically significant for primary outcomes,” particularly in intent-to-treat analysis. Importantly, long-term follow-up suggested stability in both groups, with “little to no degradation of outcomes… from 4 to 8 years.”
In line with these findings, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) highlights that conservative therapy is usually sufficient for managing symptoms of a slipped disc. It states that “conservative therapy is usually enough to treat the symptoms,” with approaches including exercise, pain management, and physical therapy. The NIH also notes that “in most people, the symptoms go away on their own within six weeks,” and staying active is now preferred over prolonged bed rest.
However, surgery still has a role in specific situations. According to NIH guidance, surgical intervention may be necessary if symptoms persist, significantly affect daily life, or in rare emergency conditions such as severe nerve compression leading to paralysis or loss of bladder or bowel control.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS
