Herniated Disc Korea: Surgery or Not? Dr.Google Pain Clinic

A herniated disc does not always need surgery. Dr.Google Pain Medicine Clinic in Anyang, Korea decides based on your MRI, symptoms and any muscle weakness, and if there is no progressive paralysis, non-surgical options such as injections can be considered first. Bring your MRI images on disc or file. The clinic is closed Thursdays and Sundays, and is about a 5-minute walk from Beomgye Station (Seoul Subway Line 4).

Told You Need Disc Surgery? Don't Decide Yet

Back pain spreading into your leg, or numbness in your arm, and then a hospital says "herniated disc, surgery recommended." Many people's first reaction is fear.

The view at Dr.Google Pain Medicine Clinic is: surgery is not always necessary; first find the cause of the pain. The decision is based on your MRI, your symptoms, and whether there is muscle weakness.

If there is no progressive paralysis, non-surgical treatment such as injections can be considered first, and even if you have already been advised to have surgery, you can come to hear other options.

Lumbar or Cervical Herniated Disc? Compare Your Symptoms

Lumbar disc herniation: pain runs from the lower back into the buttock and leg, gets worse when sitting for long or coughing, and sometimes the ankle or toes feel weak.

Cervical disc herniation: stiff, aching neck and shoulders, pain inside the shoulder blade, numbness in the arm and fingers, and a tendency to drop things.

Note that numb fingers can also come from carpal tunnel syndrome or an elbow nerve problem, which a doctor needs to tell apart. Matching your own symptoms is only a reference and cannot replace an examination.

When Should You Not Wait?

Non-surgical treatment assumes there is no progressive paralysis and no loss of bladder or bowel control.

If weakness keeps getting worse, or you have problems controlling urination or bowel movements, this is not a case for planning a trip slowly. Please get medical care promptly in your home country.

In other cases, non-surgical treatment can usually be considered first, and the actual direction is decided from your MRI and symptoms.

How Does C-arm Guided Injection Treatment Work?

Dr.Google Pain Medicine Clinic uses C-arm imaging to confirm the nerve and treatment site, and approaches the source of pain with an ultra-fine MTS microneedle to reduce tissue damage, without needing separate physical therapy. Whether to use steroids is decided carefully according to the condition, and they are avoided where possible.

From the first visit and tests to follow-up after treatment, everything is handled personally by Director Koo Jae-won (구재원), MD, PhD, a board-certified specialist in anesthesiology and pain medicine.

Besides lumbar and cervical disc herniation, the clinic also treats spinal stenosis and joint pain in the shoulders and knees.

Most people can walk on the day of treatment. You can rest in the day ward on the 8th floor (6 hours or more) before returning to your accommodation, and 24-hour admission is also possible if continued observation is needed. Whether you need further treatment, and how far apart, is decided by the doctor based on your response.

What Should You Bring to a Korean Pain Clinic?

For deciding whether surgery can be avoided, the MRI is an important basis. If you already had one done at home, please bring it.

• MRI, CT and X-ray images: prepare them on a disc or as files, not only the printed report.
• Medical records or diagnosis certificate: especially the record of the surgery recommendation.
• Medications you are taking: especially blood thinners and painkillers; please tell us in advance.
• Symptom timeline: when it started, which posture hurts most, and whether there is weakness.

Before you leave, you can ask us through the live chat on this website how best to send your imaging data.

Opening Hours: Closed Thursdays and Sundays

Check this before booking flights: the clinic is closed on Thursdays and Sundays, and on Tuesdays it only opens from 14:30.

If you want your visit in the daytime with time to rest in the day ward afterwards, Monday, Wednesday and Friday are more relaxed; on Mondays and Fridays the clinic is open until 8 p.m. On Saturdays it closes at 14:00.

We do not recommend scheduling treatment on the day you fly home. Most people can walk normally on the day of treatment, but please confirm your flight time with the doctor first.

How Do You Get from Seoul to Beomgye Station?

The clinic is in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do. From central Seoul, take Subway Line 4 to Beomgye Station, then walk about 5 minutes from the exit.

The address is Downtown Building, 214 Simin-daero, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do: 7th floor (treatment rooms) and 8th floor (ward). If you drive, parking is available in the building.

If you are staying in Seoul, a same-day round trip is possible: rest in the day ward after treatment, then return to your hotel.

How to Book Dr.Google Pain Medicine Clinic Through K-Clinic

The number of treatments for a herniated disc varies by person, and follow-up treatment is sometimes needed. Before you travel, please use the "Request booking" button or the live chat on K-Clinic for a free consultation.

Tell us your symptoms, whether surgery has been recommended, which MRI or imaging materials you have, and how many days you will stay in Korea. We will check with the clinic for available appointment times, whether your stay is long enough, how to bring your imaging, and whether a day ward needs to be arranged.

Once your booking is complete, we will tell you your arrival time, the address, and how to get there from Beomgye Station.

The actual treatment plan depends on the results of your examination.

Clinics in this article

Dr.Google Pain ClinicGyeonggi・Pain medicine・Nerve blocks
About 5 min walk from Beomgye Station (Line 4)