We report on the use and performance of an objective measure of functional impairment, the timed up and go (TUG) test, in clinical practice for patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD). We illustrate nine representative patients with lumbar DDD, who were selected from an ongoing prospective study, to report our clinical experience with the TUG test. In addition, a preliminary sample of 30 non-selected consecutive patients is presented. The following parameters were assessed preoperatively, and 3days and 6weeks postoperatively: back and leg pain using the visual analogue scale (VAS); functional impairment using the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and Roland-Morris disability index (RMDI); health-related quality of life using the EuroQol 5D (EQ5D) and Short-Form 12 (SF-12). The TUG test results improved by 2.6 and 5.4s after 3days and 6weeks compared to the baseline assessment. The mean VAS for back and leg pain decreased by 2.3 and 5.3, respectively, after 3days, and by 2.7 and 4.6 after 6weeks. The mean RMDI and ODI decreased by 3.4 and 23.3, respectively, after 3days, and by 7.0 and 28.0 after 6weeks. The mean EQ5D increased by 0.38 after 3days and 0.358 after 6weeks. The mean SF-12 mental component scale decreased by 0.2 after 3days and increased by 5.6 after 6weeks, whereas the mean SF-12 physical component scale increased by 6.4 after 3days and by 9.8 after 6weeks. The TUG test proved to be a useful, easy to use tool that could add a new, objective dimension to the armamentarium of clinical tests for the diagnosis and management of DDD. From our preliminary experience, we conclude that the TUG test accurately reflects a patient's objective functional impairment before and after surgery.