Figure 3.

MR images from a 47 year‐old man who presented with cute pain in the left waist and lower extremity caused by sprain 3 days previously. On physical examination: he had lost lumbar curvature and had obvious L ₅‐S ₁ left paraspinal muscle tenderness, straight‐leg raising test, left 15°, right 70°, with normal muscle strength and sensation in both lower extremities. (A, B) Lumbar MRI shows L ₅ S ₁ ruptured protrusion of volume 1918.35 mm³; JOA score 5. The pain in his waist and lower extremities resolved after conservative treatment with the TCM regimen for 2 months, when physical examination showed obvious improvement in L ₅ S ₁ paraspinal muscle tenderness; straight‐leg raising test, left 75°, right 90°. (C, D) MRI shows the protrusion has resorbed, its volume now being 1026.67 mm³; JOA score 24. (E, F) After treatment for 19 months, his straight‐leg raising become normal, and the protrusion had resorbed further, its volume now being 653.66 mm³, the resorption rate is therefore 65.93%; JOA score 28.