Low back pain caused by lumbar disc herniation is one of the main factors leading to physical disability. In the treatment of lumbar disc herniation, the collaboration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their respective advantages, helping to reduce the burden of society and family. Based on the international surgical indications for lumbar disc herniation, we divided lumbar disc herniation into 3 stages, including conservative treatment stage, surgical intervention stage and postoperative rehabilitation stage. From the perspective of collaboration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, we discussed the signifcance, status and future prospects of stepwise therapy for lumbar disc herniation.