Thought it was just a golf injury

Sport injuries can happen anytime, like in the case of Mr. Jack, or Mr. Pawat Varamethpasuk; a 46-year old business man with a love for golf but also suffered from what he thought was a golf-induced back pain. Eventually Mr. Jack underwent surgery at Vibhavadi Hospital, let’s find out what happened to him and why he needed surgery.

When asked about his symptoms prior to the hospital visit, Mr. Jack said, “I’ve been dealing with back pain for a year now, and I usually enjoy golfing…almost every week, so I thought the back pain was from a golf-induced injury. Until one day, I tripped on the stairs and started to experience numbness from the waist down to my feet and suddenly I was no longer able to walk, so I came to Vibhavadi Hospital right away.”

Were you a patient at Vibhavadi Hospital before this? “I used the services provided at the Vibhavadi Golf Performance Center, so I did some research and found many cases similar to mine and underwent surgery with Dr. Methee Wongsirisuwan, neurosurgeon at Vibhavadi Hospital. So I made an appointment with Dr. Methee and came to see him.”

What was the diagnosis? Mr. Jack recalled, “Dr. Methee had me get an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging: a very powerful diagnostic scanning tool), and the results showed that I had a herniated spinal disc, putting pressure on my nerves. Dr. Methee suggested 2 treatment options; medication and surgery. After a thorough conversation with him, I chose surgery.”

Mr. Jack also added, “After the surgery, the numbness has decreased a lot. I still have occasional pain at the wound site, but Dr. Methee said it will get better with time. However, the wound was very small and I felt that I have recovered very quickly, maybe because I was athletic (helping with healing time). Dr. Methee allowed me to go home but I had to refrain from playing gold for a bit, and have consistent post-op check ups.”

In response to what he would share with others who may be experiencing back pain, Mr. Jack said “Back pain can be caused by many things, sometimes you think it’s not serious so you neglect your health…like me, who ignored my back pain for years until I started experiencing numbness and then I couldn’t walk. I was so scared that I would not be able to enjoy golf anymore. Also, these days, surgery is not as scary as before, because of technological advances and doctor’s expertise, it can be a less stressful procedure.”

Vibhavadi Hospital would like to send encouragement to Mr. Jack for his speedy recovery. If you are experiencing back pain, please do not hesitate to visit a doctor to find out the true cause of the pain and receive the correct treatment. We are ready to take care of you.