Column Treatment Case Report No. 228｜ ILC International Lumbago Clinic (Tokyo Clinic)
December 13, 2025
The patient
A male patient in his 70s.
The patient’s medical history to date
The patient reported experiencing low back pain since high school.
Since then, episodes of low back pain occurred approximately once every 3–4 years.
In November 2025, the patient developed severe low back pain after exercising at the gym and had to take analgesic medication.
The patient visited our clinic seeking to improve his symptoms.
Pre-treatment symptoms
・Pain levels before treatment
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain level | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No pain at all is rated as 0, and the maximum possible pain is rated as 10.
Main areas of pain and numbness: lower back
Forward bending: Symptoms of low back pain present
Backward bending: Symptoms of low back pain present
Lasegue test: Positive at 45° on the right, 70° on the left
Point of tenderness: Around the L5 spinous process
Intermittent claudication: none
Additional explanations on our clinic’s medical examination
・Daily activities
Symptoms worsen in a forward-bending posture.
Imaging and findings
- L3/4, L4/5: Lumbar disc herniation
- L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1: Intervertebral disc degeneration
- L2/3, L3/4, L4/5: Annular tears
The above findings were also observed on the imaging.
・Left-sided disc herniation at L3/4 and L4/5 was considered the most likely cause of the patient’s primary symptoms.
・The annular tear at L2/3 was also considered a possible contributing factor.
Treatment
After discussion with the patient, PODD (Percutaneous Ozone Disc Decompression) treatment was performed at three levels: L2/3, L3/4, and L4/5.
The treatment was performed by Dr. Iwasaki
The treatment involves inserting a needle into the intervertebral disc and injecting ozone.
The treatment took about 30 minutes.
After resting in the recovery room, the patient was able to walk out of the clinic unassisted.
Our clinic’s treatment method
Here is additional information about the PODD method introduced in this article:
Cost of PODD: ¥330,000 (tax included) per location to ¥550,000 (tax included) for up to 5 locations.
Cost for this Patient’s Case: PODD 1 location = ¥330,000 (tax included).
PODD Risks/Side Effects: Temporary pain may occur after treatment. Although the possibility of nerve damage is not nil due to the very nature of the treatment, there have been no reports of such damage in our own cases or in published papers.
There is an extremely small possibility of an allergic reaction to the local anesthetic. Additionally, treatment may not be possible in cases where the disc is severely degenerated or has become almost non-existent.
During your consultation, we will work with you to choose the most suitable treatment method based on your condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the link below:
PODD method page of our treatment methods
This article was written by the Administrative Director of our clinic
