Can anyone recommend a good hopsital in Bkk or Khon Kaen for treatment of spinal and trapped nerve problems ( eg good MRI scans at low cost, and theraputic treatment).

I have a lower back problem and have been going to see a Chiropractor in BKK but it is getting costly now , yes, it has made some difference, but is slow going.

I need to exactly identify the route cause of the problem, before deciding on next options .

MRI Scans at normal prices, try Mahachai MRI centre in Mahachai Hospital just outside Bangkok

Many physicians are now thinking the "must have an MRI" approach is not the way to go.

I can't cite but have read that outcomes are the same with or without advanced diagnosis.

This has also been my own experience.

After a lifetime of back problems starting at age 19 with traction for 6 days in hospital, the worst episode happened about then years ago age about 53. Apart from severe spasm I got numb patches, the loss of two muscles in the lower leg and foot and even started to get a numb penis.

On seeing a very squeezed looking section of spinal chord from an MRI I was offered a laminectomy on the good old NHS (how sad that Americans have to get insurance).

After some reflection I asked "What do other 50 year old backs look like?"

He said "You have a point".

I decided to hang on and to my amazement it slowly came better.

The numbness in the penis went, and one of the muscles came back, the more important, the other doesn't seem to matter.

I have never had such little problem with my back as the last ten years.

And that was from doing nothing.

Not saying this is for everyone.....only that surgery etc should be a very last resort.

My immediate advice when you have back pain:

Open your spine the way it was evolutionarily (like a four legged animal) by lying on your back pulling your knees up to your chest, and roll from side to side.

Sleep on a medium, not a hard, surface.

Take the old fashioned antiinflammatory Voltaren for episodes. In my sister (a medical professional) and me, it works about half the time, seems to often break the vicious circle of spasm then more muscle tightening to avoid the spasm (oh yeah.....that's the cause of most back pain).

Don't get fat, and keep your body in shape.

Edited October 23, 201213 yr by cheeryble

MRI Scans at normal prices, try Mahachai MRI centre in Mahachai Hospital just outside Bangkok

Thanks, Would that be Mahachai 1 hosp in Samut Prakan or Mahachai 2 in Om Noi ? Looked on internet , canot tell which has the MRI facility , tried calling number 2 which is very close to me here in Nakhon Pathom, but got Mai pood Angrit.

Many physicians are now thinking the "must have an MRI" approach is not the way to go.

I can't cite but have read that outcomes are the same with or without advanced diagnosis.

This has also been my own experience.

After a lifetime of back problems starting at age 19 with traction for 6 days in hospital, the worst episode happened about then years ago age about 53. Apart from severe spasm I got numb patches, the loss of two muscles in the lower leg and foot and even started to get a numb penis.

On seeing a very squeezed looking section of spinal chord from an MRI I was offered a laminectomy on the good old NHS (how sad that Americans have to get insurance).

After some reflection I asked "What do other 50 year old backs look like?"

He said "You have a point".

I decided to hang on and to my amazement it slowly came better.

The numbness in the penis went, and one of the muscles came back, the more important, the other doesn't seem to matter.

I have never had such little problem with my back as the last ten years.

And that was from doing nothing.

Not saying this is for everyone.....only that surgery etc should be a very last resort.

My immediate advice when you have back pain:

Open your spine the way it was evolutionarily (like a four legged animal) by lying on your back pulling your knees up to your chest, and roll from side to side.

Sleep on a medium, not a hard, surface.

Take the old fashioned antiinflammatory Voltaren for episodes. In my sister (a medical professional) and me, it works about half the time, seems to often break the vicious circle of spasm then more muscle tightening to avoid the spasm (oh yeah.....that's the cause of most back pain).

Don't get fat, and keep your body in shape.

Thanks , been doing those things for last 30 years , and yes you are right, trouble is , since i have been here in LOS , i have let myself get very lazy and am now paying the price.

, trouble is , since i have been here in LOS , i have let myself get very lazy and am now paying the price.

Perhaps you've offered your own solution.

It's pretty obvious that more weight compresses the spinal connections more.

MRI Scans at normal prices, try Mahachai MRI centre in Mahachai Hospital just outside Bangkok

Thanks, Would that be Mahachai 1 hosp in Samut Prakan or Mahachai 2 in Om Noi ? Looked on internet , canot tell which has the MRI facility , tried calling number 2 which is very close to me here in Nakhon Pathom, but got Mai pood Angrit.

It was on the way from Hua Hin to Bangkok, so I think it is Samot Sakhon

An MRI is only as useful as the person reading it. If you are going to be in the BKK area I strongly suggest you consult Dr. Wicharn at BNH Hospital (also at BKK Chrtistian but oinly for 2 hours once a week). He is a top spinal expert and will be able to tell you clearly whether or not conservative measures stand a chance or not....sometimes they do and sometimes they don't, not all back pain is the same.

Contrary to what people sometimes assume will be the case with a spinal surgeon he does not "rush" to surgery and he will nto hesitate to tell someone -- even someone wanting surgery -- that they don't need it if there is a reasonable chance that their pain can be resolved through conservative measures. In my experience, and I have accompanied people to him several times, his recommendations are spot on, and also different from what other orthos reading the same MRI had said (in both directions -- i.e. someone repeatedly told to try conservative measures and never responding, one look at the MRI and he knew there was no way in this particular case that anything but surgery would ever work, and conversely someone told they probably needed surgery, he took one look and stated it was unnecessaruy and the pain would resolve within 1-2 months of conservative treatment, which it did).

Aside from MRI, which may or may not be necessary, but probably is if the pain has been prolonged, you will also need a spinal Xray. If one has been done already be sure to bring it along to avoid a repeat film.

It is no problem to have the MRI done elsewhwere and bring it to your consultation with him if you want to try to save a few thousand baht, but do not put much if any stock on the report you get from the MRI place. Take the film to a good spinal specialist.

, trouble is , since i have been here in LOS , i have let myself get very lazy and am now paying the price.

Perhaps you've offered your own solution.

It's pretty obvious that more weight compresses the spinal connections more.

I suffered from back problems caused by accident and have had surgery to stabalise the area. Still get problems and have found the only solution is exercise. You need to develope the core muscles to support your back. That is the stomach muscles. I know when you have a painfull back the last thing you want is to do sit-ups or leg raises but beleive me it is the only long term solution. Of course I am excluding medical conditions that cause the spinal tissue to break down for which medication and maybe surgery is the best option. I am now 62 and play Golf, Cycle. Without my daily routine of 30 sit-ups and leg raises with torso rotation I would be in constant pain. This I know as in a period of 2 months when I stopped the excercise I started getting the pain down the leg again and a numb foot. It may be a long struggle to achieve some level of fitness but it is worth it.

I have had to episodes of severe sciatica via bulging discs. The first episode lasted 9 months and eventually resolved itself. I did do exercises, etc. that I assume helped resolve the issue. Second episode lasted 11 months. I was scheduled for surgery but started to get slight relief about three week before I was to go under the knife. The surgery was cancelled and I was pain free two months later. I have been pain free for almost two years now. Although surgery is necessary for some, if there is any chance of getting relief without it, you are better off. My understanding is a person who has surgery and a person that doesn't, within 10 years they will both be in the same condition. Keep in mind some patients are worse off after the surgery.

I had an MRI in both cases and also understand that MRIs are not in favor now.

It is more complicated than this. The causes of "sciatica" vary. Pain -- sciatic or otherwise -- that is due to a bulging disk will naturally resolve over time, and the process may be hastened by physical therapy (spinal traction etc) and appropriate exercises. But sometimes pain is due to insufficient space for the nerve root to exit, due to complete degenration of the disk and/or vertebral compression etc, in thsoe cases surgery is often unavoidable.

Also, the prresence of a bulging disk does nto necessarily mean the pain is due to it, most are asymptomatic.

A simple Xray of the spine should always be the first step. Soem cases will also need an MRI, some will not. There is no "one size fits all" rule about that. And no substitute for a good specialist.