Nintey eight patients with single-level lumbar disc herniation and scheduled for microdiscectomy were randomized to one of two groups postoperatively. One group underwent an intensive strengthening and endurance program, while the other group simply received an education session about back care. The purpose was to compare improvement between groups using the Short Form 36-item questionnaire. The results after 12 weeks demonstrated greater improvements in dimensions of the SF-36 on pain and functioning in the exercise group, with significant differences observed in overall Physical Component Score. These results remained consistent when participants of the exercise group were compared to a subset of patients from the education group who sought some sort of physical therapy.