From agony to relief: Dubai dad pain-free after 15-year ‘pinched nerve’ battle

Dubai: After living with unbearable pain for 15 years, Fahed Shahed, a Dutch expat based in Dubai, is smiling again. The 51-year-old father of two is pain-free and full of life – thanks to a pioneering surgery performed at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery in Dubai.

Diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy, also known as a ‘pinched nerve’, he struggled to move his neck comfortably and found even the simplest tasks, like picking up objects, driving or lifting a coffee mug, incredibly challenging.
Such condition occurs when a nerve root in the spine is compressed or damaged, resulting in radiating pain that can spread beyond the neck and into the arm, chest, shoulders and upper back. Fahed’s daily life was a battle against chronic pain.

“Nobody deserves to live with pain. I lived with this for 15 years. You get used to it. You adapt and start making excuses. I decided to change that,” he said.

Over the years, Fahed consulted multiple doctors. Some proposed metal implants, others suggested artificial disc replacements – none of which gave him the confidence to proceed. “I was scared. One said he’d drill a hole in my neck and insert metal. Another said they’d replace the discs.”

A rare procedure

Recently, he heard about the Burjeel Center for Interventional Pain Management at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery. Dr Manish Raj, Specialist in Interventional Pain Medicine, assured Fahed of a pain-free life.
“It was a coincidence that I met Dr Manish,” said Fahed.

Dr Raj identified Fahed was suffering cervical spinal cord compression – a condition that causes not only excruciating neck and arm pain but, over time, can severely weaken the muscles, making even the simple act of lifting a coffee cup impossible.

“If left untreated, this condition can lead to irreversible weakness in the arms and potentially severe complications, such as Myelopathy, which can affect mobility in all limbs,” Dr Raj noted.
Dr Raj performed a cervical posterior endoscopic discectomy – a minimally invasive procedure. “This case hasn’t been done elsewhere in the country,” Dr Raj confirmed.

Back to life, pain-free

The result? A complete turnaround.

“I walk, swim, exercise, go to the gym. I’m a happy person. From the day I left the hospital, I’ve been pain-free,” said Fahed, who is now focused on completing his full recovery.

The centre, the first of its kind in Dubai, provides targeted care for chronic spine and joint pain, cancer-related pain, as well as nerve and musculoskeletal disorders. Conditions treated at the centre include chronic back and neck pain, sciatica, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, failed back surgery syndrome, and vertebral fractures.