[Jarrod]

Hello everyone,

35 year old male weightlifter who injured my back in Sept. 2010. Been to 2 neurosurgeons in central Florida area who have diagnosed me with 3 herinated discs. c5/6,6/7,7/t1, with c5/6,6/7 causing severe canal stenosis and 7/t1 causing irritation to the nerve root and making my left forearm and hand and last three fingers numb. The left forearm is also starting to atrophy and i'm having dexterity problems with the hand.

So never having any back issues until I injured myself in Sept. of this year has just floored me. After having consulted with 2 neurosurgens and given the fusion route, I went to work and started researching fusion and alternatives to this procedure. Both stateside neurosurgeons agreed that something had to be done about the stenosis which is putting me at risk for paralysis if i were to get hit or get into a car acccident.

As far as c7/t1 is concerned it is the one that herniated in Sept. and that put me out of commision for nearly a month, (worst pain of my life). It has a very big broad based herniation that is just resting on the nerve root and still causing me atrophy and dexterity problems in the left hand.

So both neurosurgeons suggested looking at other motion sparing devices for me because of my age and activity level. They could not just come right out and say it, but hinted about the possibilty. Fast forward a month and I started looking at medical tourism simply because of the fact that insurance will not cover a 3 level adr and considers it experimental, so stateside is a no go. Contacted Dr. D.V. Rajakumar in Wockhardt Hospital in India and Dr. Pablo Clavel in Spain.

Both agreed I was a canadiate for a 3 level adr and that they could and would preform 3 level adr on me. I hate to it admit it but price plays a factor in this for me since I will be paying out of pocket for this procedure. After much debate and research (Ive been on the internet day and night since my injury researching this) I've decided to go with Dr. Pablo Clavel and the m6 cervical disc. Also this forum and many others like it have been so helpful and so informative and have really touched me in a way I never knew existed. So a big thank u to Mark and all the other posters on this forum who have helped numerous people in making informed decisions about their health.

If anybody has heard of Dr. Pablo Clavel and The Barcelona Spine Clinic in Spain I would greatly appreciate your input and would like to hear your stories if any are avaiable. Again thank you all.