California Orthopaedic Medical Clinic

Sometimes your best motivation comes from learning about someone else's experiences. Here are just a few of our many success stories:

H.G., is a 24-year-old, model, who was unable to work for two years following a motor vehicle accident, because of pain in her neck, arms, lower back and legs. She was diagnosed with a herniated disc of the cervical spine and lumbar spine. She underwent surgery to her neck and lower back. She returned to work in just six weeks. She sent this photo as a token of her appreciation.

Mrs. R.R. is a 40-year old female who was a top executive secretary in an international firm. She injured her neck in a work related accident. She complained of pain in her neck. She was, of course, taken to a medical center. She was examined and had X-rays taken which revealed no fracture or dislocation, and she was referred for physical therapy. In spite of extensive therapy, her pain persisted, and subsequently she developed low back pain with numbness of her limbs.

This patient suffered from pain and missed work on and off for 3 years, while attending physical therapy with no relief. After 3 years, her company fired her. After seeing many prominent physicians and having a negative myelogram, she was finally given a psychiatric diagnosis and sent for psychiatric treatment. Two years later (5 years after the injury), her family life as well as her professional career was left in shambles. While staying at home, she become dependant on pain medications, and started to have an eating disorder. Although it was a misdiagnosis, she herself became convinced that her paid was psychological.

When she decided to come to our clinic, she walked in with the help of two canes supporting her. The key to the diagnosis of her pain was the intermittent quality. The pain was relieved when she would lay down and was aggravated when she was upright or with various neck movements. At the California Orthopaedic Medical Clinic, a diagnosis of intermittent pain was given, and a myelogram showed 2 herniated discs. She underwent surgical treatment. Five days later, she was walking without assistance and without pain in the hospital corridor.

For the first time in 5 years, this woman was without pain, and she now could begin to rebuild her life. She suffered pain, professional and personal crisis, and unnecessary psychiatric treatment due to the lack of a proper diagnosis.

M.S. is a 52-year old female who was in the hospital for 14 days with pelvic traction because of low back pain. She was unable to walk due to pain that was always present with no relief. She had weakness of both legs, urinary incontinence, and was running a mild temperature (fluctuating around 99° to 100°). Lumbar spine X-rays were negative. First myelogram was negative.

This patient also fit well into our classification of low back pain. On reviewing her symptoms and using our criteria, we categorized her pain as constant, the etiology therefore being infection, tumor, or vascular problem. On review of her X-rays, a faint, unusual area was noted at L2-3 disc. Because of her fever, we decided to aspirate this area, and Streptococcus was seen on direct smear. She was placed on intravenous antibiotics and within a few days could walk without pain. She was subsequently discharged, resuming normal activity, and 3 years’ follow up revealed no further problem.

C.B. is a 37-year old female who was a cashier in a bank and was out of work for 8 months due to a typical pattern of left-sided sciatica pain that was constant. There was no history of trauma. She had no relief of her pain at any time, not even with rest. She was limping due to her pain. The localized skin over the posterior aspect of the thigh along the course of her sciatic nerve was extremely tender to touch. She was afebrile, and she had both myelogram and CAT scan of the lumbar spine, which were negative. Because of inability to find any cause for her pain and because of a recent broken engagement, her doctor gave her a psychiatric pain diagnosis. She was receiving psychiatric therapy without relief.

Using our classification, we diagnosed her as having constant low back pain and therefore began to look for a cause such as infection, tumor, or vascular problem. She was afebrile with no clinical signs or laboratory results indicating infection and presented without vascular signs. Because of the exquisite tenderness over the sciatic nerve and excruciating pain of sciatica, we decided to explore the localized tender area. This was before MRI was available. A neurosurgeon assisting in the case doubted that we would find anything wrong.

At surgery, as we approached the sciatic nerve, a lipoma was found over the nerve. When we reached the sciatic nerve, there was a bulging over the side of the sciatic nerve. As we incised the sheath of the nerve, we discovered a round tumor approximately 10 mm by 10 mm. Histological examination proved it to be a Schwannoma tumor. Her pain was completely relieved postoperatively. She was walking and able to resume her job activity in 7 days. Eight years later she is symptom free.

K.A. is a 14-year old girl who developed low back pain and later sciatica after some pre-swimming sports exercises. She was suffering for 18 months before she was referred to our clinic.

She had been frequently seen by her family physician, chiropractor, acupuncturist, neurologist, neurosurgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, and psychiatrist. She had been hospitalized twice and each time had been treated with skeletal traction. Her final diagnosis was psychiatric conversion reaction. She refused to go swimming and stopped going to school because of pain.

She fitted well into our classification. Her pain was intermittent and became worse with coughing and sneezing. Her pain was relieved with rest. Her only limitation was straight leg raising at 20° on the left with positive tension test, and a slight weakness of the posterior tibialis. MRI disclosed slight bulging at the level of L4-5. All other tests, including CBC, ESR, and bone scan were negative.

This patient was diagnosed as having herniated nucleus pulposus of L5-S1. The diagnosis was confirmed by dynamic discography. A percutaneous discography under local anesthesia reproduced her symptoms, and a percutaneous discectomy under local anesthesia relieved her symptoms completely. Three hours later, left straight leg raising was 90°. She stated, "For the last 18 months, I could not raise my leg." She resumed her schooling and swimming 1 week later. Just 2 months after surgery she competed with 250 girls in preparing for the next Olympic swimming competition, and she won fifth place. Two years later she is active and cheerful.