A Male Patient in His 60s with Persistent Lower Back Pain That Didn't Improve with Rehabilitation and Cannot Be Treated with Surgery

Patient Information

60s, Male

Disease/Symptoms

• Spinal Canal Stenosis
• Disc Degeneration

Patient's Condition

The patient has been experiencing lower back pain for about 5 years. When playing golf, he can play in the first round, but by the second round, the back pain makes it difficult for him to continue. The patient has tried stretching treatments, massage therapy, and using patches, but there was no improvement. The hospital said surgery could not be done, and a golf friend recommended our clinic. The patient's hope is "to be able to play golf again."

Examination Results and Diagnosis

The MRI examination showed deformation in three discs between the second and fifth lumbar vertebrae, resulting in a diagnosis of disc degeneration. The leg nerves were also affected, leading to a diagnosis of spinal canal stenosis.

Treatment Details

DRT Method (Disc Regeneration Therapy)

Since the patient's symptoms were only lower back pain, high-risk surgical treatment was not appropriate. Stretching treatments or rehabilitation were also insufficient. Therefore, we performed DRT treatment on the discs to attempt to reduce the back pain.

The treatment started with local anesthesia, but the patient felt pain during the procedure, so we gave a sedative to help the patient sleep during the treatment.

Since there was not much bone deformation, the insertion of the catheter for treatment went smoothly. It took 4 minutes to insert the catheter.

The MRI showed damage at three disc levels, and we performed DRT treatment. The annulogramm of (L5/S) disc did not show damage, and the pressure was normal, so no treatment was needed. The total treatment time was 21 minutes.

Message from the Clinic Director

For lower back pain that cannot be addressed with conventional treatment, outpatient treatments such as those done abroad can be a good solution. In Japan, we have a very good national insurance system that allows treatment at a low, uniform cost, but there is a lack of significant investment in the development of treatment technologies by large companies.

Currently, in countries like the United States, medical treatment costs are very high, so most people have private health insurance, and these high costs are directed towards the development of treatment technologies. In Japan, the goal of the medical system is to provide standard care at a low and equal cost, whereas abroad, the goal is to provide the best treatment at a fair price.

During my time in university, I was taught that medical services should be equal for all people, but if we talk about the best medical services, it can be said that there is fairness but no equality in that regard.