Q Last June I fell over while running and suffered a slipped disc, confirmed by an MRI scan. I was a fit woman of 62, but can now barely walk without pain. I have already tried acupuncture and osteopathy. A neurologist said I needed an operation but I have since been told by the neurology department that surgery would not help. I feel I have been fobbed off. Should I seek a second opinion?

CM from London

A Yes, you should. With a slipped disc that has failed to respond to conservative treatment, it is appropriate to get a second opinion — from a spinal surgeon rather than a neurologist. Your GP should arrange this for you. There is an 85-90% chance surgery will alleviate your symptoms fully. Even though a discectomy — where the disc is removed from the nerve it is pressing on — is not seen as a major operation these days, any back surgery carries risks. There is typically a 1% risk of further damage to the affected nerve.

Q My wife is 20 weeks pregnant but has felt hardly any movements from the baby, whereas she had regularly by this stage with our first child. At what point should she expect to feel such movements?

AP from west London

A Most pregnancies differ, in varying ways, for the same mother and this includes foetal movements. Women typically experience abdominal “fluttering” feelings between 18 and 20 weeks of their first pregnancy, and slightly earlier in subsequent pregnancies. It is normal for the baby to lie still for long periods but by the 24th week your wife should be noticing stronger movements, peaking at 30-32 weeks. If her antenatal checks are normal, all should be fine. How frequently a baby moves bears no relation to how active it will be after it is born.

Q My husband’s family have a history of manic depression. Our daughter, now 59, has also shown the signs, including extreme highs and lows. The symptoms seem worse when the moon is full. Is there any link?

MJR from Blackpool

A The effect of the moon on human behaviour (the so-called Transylvanian hypothesis) has fascinated people for centuries. There is, though, no scientific evidence of a link between mental health and the lunar cycle. Some female sufferers do appear to have cyclical symptoms but this is due to the hormonal, not lunar, cycle. Manic depression — or bipolar disorder — can be helped by a range of treatments, notably lithium, but many sufferers feel medication impinges on their lifestyle. Your daughter should have a psychiatric assessment, if she has not already done so. For more information, go to the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ site at tinyurl.com/3pyeh9.

Write, with your initials and home town, to drknow@sunday-times.co.uk All questions are answered by a practising doctor

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