Hi everyone,Unfortunately as summer approaches here in Japan, I start suffering from severe back and neck issues, that 2 years ago I was only able to treat by going back to my home country (in despair, after trying for months here). I’d like to be able to stay this time, as my kids cannot come with me.
理学療法”, as the results are either bigger hospitals (good luck interfacing with them) or shady, decaying places… or orthopedic surgeons?
What should I be looking for? Osteopaths? Orthopedics? I’d rather go for a clinic that accepts national health insurance and not just massage centers, since it’s a medical condition (successfully treated overseas. Though it was bad enough at that point I required lasers to fix it).
EDIT: the Orthopedic suggestion worked wonders. I went to the local clinic, they did several X-rays and then already started rehab therapy. Only 4600 yen, it’s quite awesome. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
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Following. I tried doing research on this last year and kind of gave up. It seems in japan there isn’t a big distinction between them
Orthopedic clinics.
Google “整形外科” and go to the nearest one with good reviews to you. Try to find one with MRI machines in-house.
I’m also with back pain and i went to 2 seikotsuin 接骨院 “orthopedic clinic” Didn’t help at all.
Planing to go hospital and mr stretch 😂 also gonna give a try to flutteringfeelings osusume.
I’ve got cervical stenosis. The treatment I’ve received here has been utter shite. Had to go to the US to get adequate care.
Give 整骨院 or 整体 a try. They work wonders.
Also change your mattress, chair etc.
I had a neck/back injury from sports.
Hope this helps.
整形内科
There are some real useless quack 整形内科 out there.
The first one I went to just threw me pain meds and told me to stop doing any exercise at all.
I would recommend finding one that specializes in sports related injuries or treats athletes. They set me up on a rehab program, got massages, sessions with a personal trainer – all deducted from my health insurance. I’m 38 and feel the strongest and fittest I’ve ever been thanks to thanks to my clinic!
What sort of issues? I have on/off neck pain due to my spinal fusion surgery and recently went to see an Osteo in Tokyo that came highly recommended by my boss. I was sceptical but surprisingly one treatment and I was sleeping better the next day already. Plan to do a few more just in case.
The name is Osteo Japan ( https://osteojapan.com ) and its run by 2 French guys. Very friendly and very thorough. It’s a little pricey though, if budget is an issue.
I think the OP should be able to find a physiotherapist or its equivalent , in either case, plugged into the Japanese NHI (or corporate equivalent) for a 30% co-pay. The key would be, regardless of modality, to find a physiotherapist that *isn’t* strictly passive-type treatment (that means, the patient gets “worked on” and does basically nothing but think of God & Country).
That might be found in “rehab” programs often run or managed by orthopedic clinics or “sports” orthopedic clinics – one that takes in patients on NHI versus all-private fee which can get pricey). There is one near Ochanomizu Station but forgot the name. (look up お茶の水整形外科 機能リハビリテーションクリニック Ochanomizu Orthopedic Surgery: Functional rehabilitation clinic )
And, that can also be found in some cases within the Seikotsuin 接骨院 but it’s just as hard to find. That is, a practitioner that requires and provides guidance on strengthening and stretching exercises that the patient needs to start doing on a regular basis — not just lie back and irrationally expect miraculous cures from being poked, prodded and palpitated.
The head of the Fujimi Seikotsuin near Iddabashi (look up 富士見接骨院) Fujimi Seikotsuin ) , Ogata, is pretty good. He has a strong qualified background in kineseology & experience with athletes. He also coaches American football and baseball, I think… or used to. Still with majority of patients expecting passive-only type treatments and unwilling to commit to such “homework”, you’d have to indicate what you’re looking for.
**ETA** In any event, you will want to have your spinal issues properly examined and diagnosed to make certain it’s not an orthopedic issue before assuming it’s musculature/ligament/tendon/fascia-related. And, that means beyond an x-ray; a CT scan and possibly an MRI. Twice I’ve seen Ogata at the previously mentioned Seikotsuin refuse to treat a patient before getting the all clear on orthopedic issues – in one case, a foreign female student, he called and booked an appointment with an ortho clinic in Meijiro for MRI’s the same day. And, that’s what made him stand out in my mind as one of the rare and good ones in his field.
One of the top spinal MD specialists is Dr. Koichi Sairyo 西良 浩一 and practices at two clinics in Tokyo:
>■ 八王子スポーツ整形外科
>東京都八王子市中町5-1 中町ビル4F
>TEL: 042-626-0308
>■ 東京腰痛クリニック
>東京都中央区銀座5-1-15 第一御幸ビル2F
>TEL: 03-5537-3885
Surgeries, I think he does at Tokushima Univ Hospital.
A friend recently was diagnosed by him and just came out of surgery. Before meeting, he had to arrange elsewhere for MRIs. He previously had lumbar surgery in Japan (Keio Univ Hosp), and thoracic surgery in the US – the latter probably was responsible for “cramming” all the nerves in the T9 against the vertebrae causing immense pain & disability (this is why you want an MRI to see what x-rays cannot )