Column Treatment Case Report No. 81｜ ILC International Lumbago Clinic (Tokyo Clinic)
June 20, 2023
Patient case
The patient
A female patient in her 60s
The patient’s medical history to date
in November 2021, she was diagnosed with intervertebral disc herniation.
In July 2022, the pain in the back was unchanged undergoing despite a surgical treatment.
She decided to visit our clinic for treatment.
Symptoms before treatment
・Pain levels before treatment
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
| Pain level | 10 | 9 | 3 | 2 |
No pain at all, it is rated as 0, and the maximum possible pain is rated as 10.
Main areas of pain and numbness: lower back, both lower limbs
Bending forward: aggravation of pain in the lower back on the right.
Bending backward: no change
Lasegue test: presence of pain
Point of tenderness: intervertebral joint on the right
Additional explanations on our clinic’s medical examination
・Daily activities
Pain is aggravated when bending, such as when washing one’s face.
Symptoms are also exacerbated with prolonged sitting or when carrying heavy loads.
Walking ability is unaffected.
Imaging and findings
- L3/4/5 – spinal stenosis
- L3/4 – inflammation
The above findings were also observed on the imaging.
・ L3/4 – spinal stenosis is the probable cause of the pain and numbness.
Since inflammation is present in the vertebral body, PODD was recommended to treat the inflammation site instead of the Cellgel Method.
The above treatment was suggested based on the medical examination and the imaging findings.
At the request of the patient, we started with treatment on the inflammation site.
Treatment
L3/4 – PODD was performed.
The treatment was performed by Dr. Kono.
The treatment took about 10 minutes.
After resting in the recovery room, the patient was able to walk home by herself.
The patient is scheduled to undergo the Cellgel procedure once the inflammation has subsided.
Our clinic’s treatment method
Additional information about the PODD procedure we have introduced in this column.
Cost of the PODD: 330,000 yen for 1 site (tax included) to 550,000 yen for 5 sites (tax included).
Cost of epidural ozone: 33,000 yen for 1 site (tax included) to 165,000 yen for 5 sites (tax included).
* Cost for this particular patient: 330,000 yen (tax included) PODDD on 1 site.
Epidural ozone on 1 site = 33,000 yen (tax included)
Risks and side effects of PODD: Transient pain may occur after treatment. Although nerve damage is not non-existent due to the very nature of the treatment, there have been no reports of damage so far in either report cases or publications. There is a very small possibility of allergic reactions to local anesthetics. In addition, if the disc is almost completely collapsed, treatment mmay not be possible. The doctor will discuss with the patient during their visit to the clinic to determine the best treatment option for the condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the following links:
The PODD method: link to the page detailing our various methods of treatment
This article was written by the Administrative Director of our clinic
