From Sciatica Pain to Running Again in 6 Months | Follow-up After Discseel® Procedure |

Patient Information

40s, Male

Condition & Symptoms

• Disc Herniation
• Sciatica

Background

The patient suffered from a herniated disc and persistent lower back pain, particularly upon waking. Because lower back pain and sciatica flared up even during regular walking, he underwent the Discseel® Procedure in November 2025.

Progress

Six months after the treatment, his daily life had improved to the point of being symptom-free. However, he returned to our clinic because running marathons—his main hobby—at full effort still triggered sciatic pain.

Pre- and Post-Treatment Status

	November 2025	May 2026
Lower Back Pain	8/10	2/10
Leg Pain	0/10	0/10
Numbness	0/10	0/10
Buttock Pain	8/10	0/10 5/10 during sports

(Pain levels evaluated by the patient on a 10-point scale, where 0 indicates no pain.)

Examination

Pre-Treatment Lumbar MRI

MRI scan before treatment. Disc herniation and reduced disc volume are observed at L4/5 and L5/S1.

Post-Treatment Lumbar MRI

MRI scan from today. The herniations at L4/5 and L5/S1 have been absorbed, and an improvement in L5/S1 disc volume is visible.

Summary

While the patient has significantly improved 6 months post-procedure, we explained that symptoms during high-load activity may be caused by mild ongoing inflammation near the nerve roots or because full disc function has not yet been restored. Disc function continues to recover for up to 12 months post-treatment, so we advised observing his progress for the remainder of the year. Since there is a good chance he will be able to resume marathon running by the end of the year, a follow-up appointment was set for 6 months from now. As shown in this case, full recovery for high-impact sports can take time.

Director's Note

Unidentified Flying Objects

I took a look at the UFO photos released by the US government recently. I had high hopes, but they were pretty much just "dots." Nothing but tiny dots everywhere! My presbyopia didn't help either—they just looked like blurry flying saucers to me. I wish they'd capture clearer footage! Even if aliens don't exist, I'd still love to travel to space someday.

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