Comparing Treatment Options
Cost Comparison
Conservative Treatment Costs (Approximate Out-of-Pocket at 30%)
| Treatment | Cost per session | Estimated annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Medication | A few hundred to a few thousand yen/month | 10,000-50,000 yen |
| Rehabilitation | 500-2,000 yen/visit | 30,000-100,000 yen |
| Nerve block injections | 3,000-10,000 yen/session | Several tens of thousands of yen |
Surgery and SCS Costs
Decompression surgery, fusion surgery, and SCS are all covered by Japan's High-Cost Medical Care Benefit System (Kogaku Ryoyo-hi Seido). Under this system, there is a monthly cap on your out-of-pocket expenses.
| Category | Monthly out-of-pocket cap (from August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Under 70, annual income approx. ¥3.7–7.7 million | ¥85,800 + (bill − ¥286,000) × 1% |
| Under 70, annual income up to approx. ¥3.7 million | ¥61,500 |
| 70 or older, general income (a month with a hospital stay) | ¥61,500 (outpatient-only months: ¥22,000) |
The cap depends on your income category and is subdivided further from August 2027. A trial and a permanent implant in different months can mean two months at the cap, and meal and private-room charges are not covered — see Treatment Costs and the High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit.
The exact out-of-pocket amount depends on your income bracket. For details, please ask the hospital billing office or your local municipal government.