April 14, 2023
The case of a patient who was treated symptomatically without fundamental cure before coming to our clinic.
The patient
A female patient in her 60s.
The patient’s medical history to date
In March 2022, the patient began to experience a twitching pain in the left buttock area several times a day.
In June of the same year, the pain aggravated and she became temporarily unable to stand up. She consulted an orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed her with disc herniation.
The pain got better with medication, but she still decided to visit our clinic in order to make a full recovery.
Symptoms before treatment
Pain levels before treatment
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain level | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
No pain at all is rated as 0, and the maximum possible pain is rated as 10.
Main areas of pain – lower back, left hip to lower limb, and left sole of the foot.
Bending forward: aggravation of pain in the lower back
Bending backward: aggravation of back pain
Lasegue test: positive on the left side
Point of tenderness: 3/4, 4/5, 5/S
Additional explanations on our clinic’s medical examination
Daily activities
Turning over in bed, standing up, leaning forward to wash one’s face or hair
semi-crouched position, prolonged sitting
Carrying an object the size of a shopping bag
The pain is aggravated when performing the above movements.
Walking is possible for more than 500m.
Imaging and findings
- L4/5 and 5/s – disc degeneration,
- L5/s – disc herniation
- Inflammation of the endplate is suspected in L5/s
The above findings were also observed on the imaging.
・The L5/s disc herniation leaning towards the right was observed, which was consistent with the main symptoms and is the probable cause of the pain and numbness, but this time the PODD Method was proposed instead of the Cellgel method due to the inflammation of the disc endplate.
Based on the examination and imaging findings, we proposed the above treatment.
Treatment
PODD was performed on L5/s.
The treatment took about 15 minutes.
After resting in the recovery room, the patient was able to walk home by herself.
Our clinic’s treatment method
Some additional information about the PODD Method.
Cost of the PODD Method: 330,000 yen / 1 site (including tax) to 550,000 yen / 5 sites (including tax)
Epidural ozone cost: 33,000 yen / 1 site (including tax) to 165,000 yen / 5 sites (including tax)
* Cost for this particular patient: PODD on 1 site: 330,000 yen (including tax)
PODD risks and side effects: There is a possibility of transient pain occurring after treatment. There is a possibility of nerve damage due to the nature of the treatment, but there have been no reports of damage in either our own treatment cases or in published papers. There is a very small possibility of an allergic reaction to the local anesthetic. In addition, there is a possibility that treatment may not be possible if the intervertebral disc has lost its volume almost completely. When you visit our clinic, please consult with the doctor in order to choose a treatment method that is appropriate for your condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the page in the link below.
PODD method page of our treatment method
This article was written by the Administrative Director of our clinic
