Client Story

Musculoskeletal Disorder: A Rescue When a Herniated Disc Threatens Mobility

How PHM’s personalized medical support prevented potential paralysis and guided Amanda to safety.

A field of flowers

Presentation

Amanda was enjoying a weekend with friends in California’s wine country when she suddenly began to experience extreme pain that began in her lower back and radiated down her legs. She couldn’t turn, walk, or move.

Emergency room trips only resulted in pain medications. She was told that her pain wasn’t severe enough to be admitted or receive an MRI. That’s when her mother, who had a unique health benefit through her employer, called PHM to ask for help. 

PHM Impact

Later that day, a member of PHM’s Personal Care Team contacted her and offered her everything she was looking for: knowledge, reassurance, and a sense of urgency. 

Sourcing And Coordinating Specialist Care

After a visit from a specialist and an MRI, it became clear that her condition was very serious: Amanda had a severely herniated disc that could paralyze her from the waist down. She needed emergency spinal surgery. 

Emergency Spinal Surgery

PHM immediately called after reviewing the MRI results and sourcing opinions from their experts. Their findings agreed that Amanda needed the surgery as soon as possible. Amanda’s PHM team walked her and her parents through the procedure and explained likely outcomes. 

OutCOME

Armed with this information, Amanda underwent a successful surgery the following morning. She regained her range of motion and ability to walk almost immediately. 

Before her surgery, Amanda felt her world had been turned upside down. She struggled to make informed decisions about her health. Amanda’s Personal Care Team acted as her champion, offering the advice, compassion, and guidance she needed to navigate this complex health issue – and the healthcare system itself. 

Having essentially a quarterback working for you with your best interest at heart, that’s what the Private Health team was doing. They were quarterbacking every appointment, every follow up, every test result. They were getting reviewed by multiple sources. I don’t think you can do that on your own. I am healthy today because Private Health helped me twice.”

A mother and daughter laugh in nature.

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