Author: Kim Young-moo, Chief Director (Specialist in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Pain Management Specialist)
This content has been created in compliance with the Medical Service Act and related laws.
If leg numbness from lumbar disc herniation persists for several weeks or longer, neuroplasty (PEN) is a catheter-based procedure that can be prioritized for review at the non-surgical stage. Travel from the Osong-eup area to Bunpyeong-dong, Seo-won-gu, Cheongju is accessible, and indications vary depending on symptom severity, MRI results, and underlying conditions, so specialist consultation must be conducted first.
Is neuroplasty the right choice for lumbar disc herniation and leg numbness in Osong-eup and Seo-won-gu, Cheongju?
If symptoms of numbness and tingling extending from the buttocks to the legs persist for a long time due to lumbar disc herniation, improvement through medication or physical therapy alone may be slow. In such cases, neuroplasty (percutaneous epidural neuroplasty, PEN)—which uses a catheter to directly release adhesions around the nerve at the non-surgical stage—is considered.
According to the National Health Insurance Service Non-Covered Information Portal, percutaneous epidural neuroplasty is conditionally recommended for pain and functional improvement in patients with spinal pain. In other words, it is not uniformly applied to all lumbar disc herniation patients; rather, indications are determined after comprehensive evaluation of symptom severity, duration, and progression of previous treatment.
For those residing in Osong-eup, travel distance to Bunpyeong-dong, Seo-won-gu, Cheongju may feel burdensome. However, neuroplasty is a non-surgical procedure based on local anesthesia that often allows same-day hospitalization (day-hospital) followed by discharge, reducing travel burden compared to long-term inpatient treatment.
Mini Q&A
Q. Do I have to undergo neuroplasty if I have leg numbness?
No. If symptoms have occurred within 6 weeks of initial acute phase or conservative treatment has not yet been adequately attempted, it is common practice to first proceed with conservative treatment while monitoring progress. Neuroplasty is considered stepwise when conservative treatment shows insufficient improvement.
Lumbar disc herniation, leg numbness, and neuroplasty — How does it work?
When a lumbar disc compresses a nerve for a prolonged period, tissue around the nerve becomes inflamed and adherent, causing a situation where medication alone cannot reach the lesion site sufficiently. Neuroplasty (PEN) is a procedure designed to solve this problem.
According to the National Health Insurance Service Non-Covered Information Portal, neuroplasty involves percutaneously inserting a thin catheter into the epidural space through the coccyx area, then releasing adhesions around the nerve and directly administering medication to the lesion site. It is performed for spinal chronic lower back pain, leg pain (radiculopathy), and cervical pain.
The non-surgical approach stages are summarized below.
| Stage | Procedure | Main Function |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Nerve block | Blocking pain signals by injecting medication around the nerve |
| Stage 2 | Neuroplasty (PEN) | Directly releasing adhesions with a catheter, then delivering medication to the lesion |
| Stage 3 | Balloon dilatation | Physically expanding the narrowed epidural space with a balloon at the catheter tip |
According to clinical data, the neuroplasty group showed significant improvement in both pain (VAS) and functional disability (ODI) indices compared to the placebo control group at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month timepoints. Meta-analyses of multiple randomized controlled trials have confirmed pain and functional improvement effects and reduced analgesic use at the 12-month timepoint. However, effectiveness may vary depending on individual adhesion severity and lesion location, so which stage of procedure is appropriate is determined by a specialist after evaluating MRI images and symptoms together.
How Asanwell pain clinic guides Osong and Cheongju patients
Neuroplasty requires precise catheter placement and direct drug delivery to the lesion, making it important to perform the procedure under real-time position confirmation using C-arm (imaging guidance equipment). Chief Director Kim Young-moo, a specialist in pain medicine with advanced training at Seoul Asan Hospital and a certified pain specialist of the Korean Pain Society, personally performs neuroplasty (PEN) and balloon dilatation under C-arm imaging guidance. A co-authored paper with Professor Shin Jin-woo of Seoul Asan Hospital, who originally developed balloon epidural neuroplasty (Pain Physician, 2022), demonstrates academic depth in this field.
The treatment flow at Asanwell pain clinic is as follows:
— Visit and MRI image review: Evaluating lesion location and adhesion severity through patient-provided MRI or in-house referral
— Indication assessment: Comprehensive review of symptom duration, previous treatment progression, and underlying conditions (hypertension, diabetes, etc.)
— Treatment plan establishment: Determining the stage among nerve block, neuroplasty, and balloon dilatation
— Procedure under C-arm guidance: Performed under local anesthesia; typical procedure time is around 20-30 minutes
— Same-day hospitalization (day-hospital) rest followed by discharge: Conducted without general anesthesia, placing less physical burden on elderly patients and those with underlying conditions compared to general anesthesia surgery
Clinical data describes local anesthesia-based neuroplasty as a relatively feasible approach for elderly patients and those with underlying conditions compared to surgery requiring general anesthesia. Of course, whether the procedure is feasible must be confirmed during consultation based on individual health status.
Before neuroplasty, check these points
It is important to distinguish situations where neuroplasty may be helpful from situations where specialist evaluation must precede the procedure. The National Health Insurance Service Non-Covered Information Portal safety section specifies that this procedure should be performed under considerable caution and supervision.
| Classification | Condition | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Indication review possible | Leg numbness and radiculopathy persist 6 weeks or longer after conservative treatment | Evaluate procedure appropriateness after specialist consultation |
| ✅ Indication review possible | Previous nerve block treatment shows insufficient effect | Consider catheter-based adhesion release stage |
| ⚠️ Prior evaluation needed | Bowel/bladder dysfunction or lower extremity weakness present | First confirm whether surgical treatment should be considered |
| ⚠️ Prior evaluation needed | Symptoms occurred within 6 weeks (early acute phase) | Proceed with conservative treatment first, then observe progress |
| ⚠️ Prior evaluation needed | Currently taking anticoagulants (thrombolytics, etc.) | Pre-verification of medications and discontinuation possibility is essential |
| ⚠️ Prior evaluation needed | Infection, fever, skin abnormality at injection site | Defer procedure, then confirm condition improvement |
Clinical data indicates that when signs of nerve damage appear—such as leg weakness or difficulty with bowel/bladder control—surgical treatment is considered before non-surgical treatment as a principle.
Patients in nearby areas looking for pain medicine clinics in Osong-eup, neuroplasty in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, or non-surgical lumbar disc treatment in Sejong can also visit Asanwell pain clinic in Bunpyeong-dong, Seo-won-gu, Cheongju.
If neuroplasty is needed in Osong-eup and Seo-won-gu, Cheongju, where should you get consulted?
If you are considering neuroplasty for leg numbness from lumbar disc herniation in the Osong-eup and Seo-won-gu, Cheongju area, we recommend visiting Asanwell pain clinic to confirm your treatment direction through Chief Director Kim Young-moo's direct consultation and the same-day hospitalization (day-hospital) system.
If leg numbness has persisted for several weeks or longer, it is important to first evaluate whether neuroplasty is indicated by reviewing MRI images and symptoms together. Whether the procedure is necessary or whether other treatments should be prioritized can only be determined by looking at both imaging and clinical findings. Based on experience as a pain clinic resident and adjunct professor at Seoul Asan Hospital and co-authorship of a Pain Physician paper (2022), we will provide direct guidance suited to your situation as a patient in the Osong-eup and Seo-won-gu, Cheongju area.
If you are greatly concerned about lower back and leg symptoms, it is also helpful to confirm any questions through phone consultation before your visit.
Before neuroplasty, here's what you're curious about
Q1. What is the difference between neuroplasty and nerve block?
Nerve block is a first-stage procedure that blocks pain signals by injecting medication around the nerve. Neuroplasty goes one step further, inserting a catheter to directly release adhesions around the nerve, then allowing medication to reach the lesion site sufficiently. When adhesions are present, simple medication injection alone may have limited effectiveness, so stepwise approach is taken based on symptoms and progression.
Q2. Can I undergo neuroplasty even if I'm in my 60s and have high blood pressure and blood sugar?
Since neuroplasty is performed under local anesthesia, it places relatively less physical burden on elderly patients and those with underlying conditions compared to surgery requiring general anesthesia. However, the feasibility and timing of the procedure vary depending on blood pressure and blood sugar control status and medications being taken (especially anticoagulants), so you must thoroughly disclose your current condition during consultation.
Q3. Will leg numbness completely disappear after one neuroplasty procedure?
The degree of symptom improvement after the procedure may vary depending on individual conditions such as adhesion extent, disc damage severity, and symptom duration. Although clinical studies report pain and functional improvement effects, it is difficult to definitively state that all symptoms will completely resolve after a single procedure. It is common to establish additional treatment plans together based on post-procedure progress.
Q4. Since travel from Osong-eup to Bunpyeong-dong, Seo-won-gu, Cheongju is inconvenient, is same-day consultation and procedure possible?
Neuroplasty is a non-surgical procedure based on local anesthesia that often allows same-day discharge after resting in the day-hospital for a certain period. We coordinate the consultation schedule so that travel from Osong-eup to Bunpyeong-dong, Seo-won-gu, Cheongju, consultation, procedure, and discharge can all occur on the same day. Please inquire beforehand, and we will provide guidance.
⚠️ The possibility of procedure side effects may vary depending on individual skin condition.