Almost complete paralysis – and a surprising recovery: “within a day he was already walking in the ward”

About three weeks ago, 36-year-old David Mutai, an evacuee from Kiryat Shmona who currently lives in Tiberias, began to suffer from severe pain in his limbs and difficulty walking. “It came out of nowhere,” he says in an interview with Mako Health. “Within a few hours, both hands also started to tingle, as if they were asleep.” Mutai first contacted the family doctor, who referred him to the neurological department at the North Medical Center (Foria).When he arrived at the hospital, it was decided to admit him immediately, fearing that it was a problem originating in the brain. “They did an MRI and they saw that there was swelling in the spinal cord area and they gave me steroids,” says David. However, his condition only continued to worsen. “It was literally like paralysis in my arms and legs. I was weak, and my body felt like jelly. I couldn’t walk or hold something without it falling out of my hand, and my body was shaking non-stop.”

 

At this point, the medical team invited Dr. Lior Marom, director of the Spine Surgery Unit at the North Medical Center, for a consultation. After examining David’s MRI, Dr. Marom diagnosed that Tai was suffering from a syndrome known in medical language as “cervical myelopathy”. which is manifested by severe nerve pressure on the cervical spinal cord. “This is a syndrome that is not particularly common, a total of about 10% of spinal injuries result from it.”

Dr. Marom explains that the cervical spinal cord is actually a “cable” that transmits the tension and commands from the brain to the four limbs. and to prevent basic actions, such as walking, controlling the sphincters and eating independently.” He further adds that those suffering from the syndrome also face pain in the limbs.

The most common reason for the onset of the syndrome, says Dr. Marom, is a disc (pad between the vertebrae of the spine) that protrudes from its place and presses on the nervous system, whether following a previous event of a herniated disc in the neck, an injury as a result of a car accident, a benign or malignant tumor in the neck, or pollution.

According to Motai, about ten years ago he was diagnosed with a herniated cervical disc. “The doctors never thought it would come to such a state. So it amounted to an injection to relieve the pain, and it passed until it erupted now.” Dr. Marom points out that there are quite a few cases where the diagnosis of the syndrome is delayed for a long time. “Unfortunately, patients with the syndrome are often missed in the community, because the doctors don’t really know how to treat their complaints, or who to refer them to. At first they feel only a slight motor impairment, and sometimes they go around like this for six months or more, until the condition deteriorates. They receive the diagnosis too late, and it also affects their ability to recover later.”

“I remained optimistic”

Following the findings, and Motai’s serious condition, Dr. Marom decided on immediate neck surgery. “We never know if following the surgery the patient will return to full function. The purpose of the surgery is mainly to stop the deterioration, and anything beyond that is a bonus. There are cases where the condition does not get worse after the operation, but the patients remain at the same level of disability and disability.”

The surgery was successfully performed last week. During it, the disc that presses between the vertebrae was removed, and a permanent prosthesis was inserted in its place. “This is a very delicate surgical procedure, and the big risk is that additional damage will occur due to an incorrect displacement during the removal of the disc,” explains Dr. Marom, “Throughout the entire procedure we monitor the patient’s physiological condition and nerve conduction using electrodes that are connected to him, alert for any abnormal signal that is accepted, and know how to adjust ourselves.”

“The purpose of the surgery is mainly to stop the deterioration, and anything beyond that is a bonus. A few hours after the surgery he already said he could feel his hands. His recovery was astonishing”

Dr. Lior Marom, North Medical Center

In an unusual way, which managed to surprise even the experienced staff, in just one day David returned to almost full function. “I have never encountered such a quick recovery before,” states Dr. Marom, “he was barely able to walk or move his hands, and a few hours after the operation he already said he could feel his hands. His recovery was astonishing – within a day he was walking in the ward. It is true that he still suffers from a decline in function, but his condition is immeasurably much better.” According to him, it is impossible to point to a single and unequivocal reason for the rapid recovery. “We estimate that it has something to do with the fact that he is a generally healthy and young person, as well as the fact that he was diagnosed at a relatively early stage.”

Only one day after the operation, David was released to his home in good condition. These days he is undergoing rehabilitation, which includes occupational therapy and physical therapy treatments. “I’m just now starting to digest that all this happened to me,” concludes David. “It was a difficult period of fear and uncertainty, I didn’t know what would happen to me, but I remained optimistic, I told myself that I had already been through things in life and I would get through this too.”