Summary
A yoga instructor and cacao farm owner from Costa Rica herniated two cervical discs at C5-C6 and C6-C7 while traveling, spending seven months battling debilitating daily headaches, hand numbness and tingling, and neck pain that forced her to quit her yoga teaching job and step back from working her farm. Three neurologists — in Costa Rica and the United States — pushed steroid injections and spinal fusion, none of which she was willing to accept. After researching alternatives and discovering Deuk Spine Institute, she completed a Zoom MRI review, traveled to Florida, and underwent the Deuk Laser Disc Repair®. Less than 24 hours later her headaches were completely gone, full feeling had returned to her fingers, and she was smiling and excited to return to yoga, her farm, and her life in Costa Rica within weeks.
Transcript
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Good morning. I’m Dr. Deukmedjian with the Deuk Spine Institute. And this patient, who I’m sitting with, traveled from Costa Rica to Deuk Spine Institute to have two herniated discs in her neck repaired with the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® (DLDR). You suffered with neck pain for a long time.
Patient: Yeah, for about seven months. From an injury when I was traveling. I lost feeling in my fingers, a lot of headaches — debilitating headaches at least once a week.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So common symptoms from a herniated disc in the neck: hand symptoms, numbness, tingling, weakness, headaches, neck pain. And you had the Deuk Laser Disc Repair®. We went in with the laser endoscopy and repaired the tear in the back of your disc, got rid of the herniations that were causing your symptoms. How do you feel now that you’ve had that procedure done?
Patient: I feel great. Feel really good. I’d say the only thing is a little bit of a scratchy throat from the intubation, but other than that I feel great.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Let’s talk about the headaches you had. You had them every day before?
Patient: Yeah, I woke up with like I’d say a pain level like a five every day the headache. I just kind of got really good at living life with headaches.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So do you have the headaches today?
Patient: No headaches today.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Gone?
Patient: Gone. Yeah. Depending on what I was doing, I would be in bed by like 5:00 p.m. just from —
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Isn’t it amazing?
Patient: It’s really great.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And your hands. How are your hands doing today?
Patient: I can feel them. They’re good. Yeah, I can feel my fingers. No numbness. I don’t have to do this every couple of minutes just to feel them again. So I’m feeling really good.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Now, you’re a yoga instructor and you have a farm in Costa Rica. Tell us a little bit about how your herniated disc in the neck affected your everyday life.
Patient: So I herniated my discs in June and I tried to keep up with normal life, trying to kind of push through for about a couple of months. And then mid-September I decided it was time just to stop putting so much pressure on my body. So I quit my yoga teaching job, and then I told my farmers that I couldn’t really do any work. Basically completely lost touch with my jobs and just kind of had to manage the farm and walk and tell my team what to do. And with yoga I completely destroyed my yoga teaching job.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So the things that you loved in your life. Obviously to do you were not able to do because of your problems with your neck.
Patient: Exactly. I’m super, super athletic and always moving. I love to run on the beach at least once a week. I like to climb. I own a cacao farm. I like to climb the trees, pick the cacao instead of just being like, “Can you get that one for me?” Pick the fruits from all my fruit trees, dig out the ginger. I couldn’t really do that. I just kind of stood by and watched life go by before me.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: What’s life going to be like now that your neck is fixed with our Deuk Laser Disc Repair®?
Patient: You know, once I’m able to do yoga in two weeks, I’ll be back to that — stretching, get my body back, get my fitness level back, get my confidence back. Yeah, I’m excited. I’m excited to be able to do all the things I do. To work with my farmers and be part of the team, not just guiding the team.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: You look excited. Let’s talk for a minute about your experience of finding Deuk Spine Institute and doing our MRI review. How was that for you?
Patient: Easy. We did it on Zoom — quick Zoom call. My partner and I, we don’t like to take medicines. We’re more of an alternative couple. So when I went to the neurologist where I lived, they said they wanted to remove the disc, put a little plastic disc back in and possibly spinal fusion. Same with my neurologist where my parents live. They wanted me to get a review in the states in case it was different. And that neurologist as well was really pushing steroids and steroid injections and flying to and from Costa Rica for the injections, which hurts my neck every time I travel because we live four and a half hours away from the airport in Costa Rica. So we were looking for something, and as soon as we knew that I had herniated discs at C5-C6 and C6-C7, we started doing our own research into what alternatives were, and we found you right away. You have great information on your website, which is really nice. It felt like a no-brainer. It took a little convincing for my family and whatnot because they’re used to just the typical things — steroids, spinal fusion, do it in the country where we’re from. But once you can be the pioneer of your own medical journey and really push for the surgery, they were all on board. And I took great pride in it. I feel great. I don’t think I would feel like this after a spinal fusion less than 24 hours later.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Well, that’s a really touching story. And for me as a surgeon, what I love is to be able to help people like you avoid dangerous treatments that really don’t work and affect you and scar you for the rest of your life. You had the best treatment in the world available today. I’m glad you’re here and I’m so thankful that you came, had faith in us, and believed in us. Anything else you want to say to your fans out there?
Patient: Do it. I mean, if you’re looking for it. Do it. I’ve spoken to many people that said, “Don’t do surgery, you’re too young, don’t do it.” But I’m also too young not to move and to have my whole life changed like a complete lifestyle change for the last seven months, it’s not worth it. Your life belongs to you. Your choice is in your hands. Find this surgery.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Well, congratulations and have safe travels back to Costa Rica.
The Better Way: Deuk Laser Disc Repair®
This patient underwent the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® for the cervical spine at Deuk Spine Institute to treat two herniated discs at C5-C6 and C6-C7 causing chronic daily headaches, hand numbness and tingling, and debilitating neck pain. After being recommended disc removal, plastic disc replacement, spinal fusion, and repeated steroid injections by three separate neurologists, she found Deuk Spine Institute through her own research, completed a virtual Zoom MRI review, and traveled from Costa Rica to Florida for treatment. Using a minimally invasive laser endoscopic approach, Dr. Deukmedjian repaired the annular tears and removed the herniations — with no disc removal, no fusion hardware, no hospitalization, and no narcotic pain medication — with complete headache relief and restored hand sensation achieved within 24 hours of the outpatient procedure. Patients worldwide can begin their journey with a complimentary MRI review and virtual consultation at Deuk Spine Institute.