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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 3 days and 6 weeks 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 3 days and 6 weeks compared to the baseline assessment. The mean VAS for back and leg pain decreased by 2.3 and 5.3, respectively, after 3 days, and by 2.7 and 4.6 after 6 weeks. The mean RMDI and ODI decreased by 3.4 and 23.3, respectively, after 3 days, and by 7.0 and 28.0 after 6 weeks. The mean EQ5D increased by 0.38 after 3 days and 0.358 after 6 weeks. The mean SF-12 mental component scale decreased by 0.2 after 3 days and increased by 5.6 after 6 weeks, whereas the mean SF-12 physical component scale increased by 6.4 after 3 days and by 9.8 after 6 weeks. 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.