London Spine Unit - Back and Neck Pain Clinic Avis 

I have had back problems for years after an injury at work when I was in my early 20s. I have seen multiple doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors and even other surgeons but for 8 years I struggled on with no improvement, if anything the condition got worse. At times I would often have to stay in bed for a week or take a lot of pain killers to get through a working day when things would flare up.

Dr Akmal and his team were patient and really listened to my history and condition. He was quick to see the problem from an MRI and suggested different options for my recovery starting with the least invasive with the hope this would work. Sadly we tried a few things which didnt work but I am glad we went through the process of ruling out lesser procedures first and also physiotherapy. In the end we made the decision that I should have a L4/L5 lumbar spinal fusion as a day case. I was very nervous about this as I really wanted to avoid surgery however Dr Akmal and the team talked me through everything and reassured me that the benefits could really be amazing and I have to say they were really right.

It took a few weeks to let everything heal but within 2 months I could already feel the benefits and now after 5 months from the surgery I feel like a new person, I have my full mobility back, can still comfortably, lift things and move and exercise in a way that I haven’t been able to in years and all without the fear of further hurting myself.

I really cant praise Dr Akmal and the team enough. He is patient, kind and understanding and really put me at ease and answered any questions and concerns I had. I would recommend anyone with back issues to consult with him as it really could change your life and I am so grateful.

My wife had been in severe back and leg pain for almost 3 months, we had tried going to A&E a few times to get help but all they did was keep giving her stronger pain killers and requested a scan which took 2 months to come through and was dated for a further month she was crying in pain and I had to literally carry her to the toilet and had to bath her I was left with limited choices I took her to Dubai for a quicker privately funded a MRI scan which showed her disc impairment and was advised laser back therapy treatment which did not help we came back to the uk, by this time she was in a wheelchair and completely reliant on myself which caused a lot of emotional stress along with having to see her cry all the time we then had some treatment in Sheffield which again did not help at this point I was sure she needed back surgery and the NHS wasn’t willing to help until they said she reached the peak of this problem and was told to dial 999 if her water works had stopped which I found even more worrying and pathetic I didn’t want to see my wife struggle or cry anymore so I searched up the best back specialists in uk and Mr Mo Akmal from Harley Street Hospital (HSH) came up he was available for an appointment the next day when we attended he reassured us by looking at her MRI scan report that she needed an operation but of course there was other cheaper treatments available to us to try before so I made it clear to DR Mo Akmal that money was no issue and we need the best treatment which was going to be having back surgery we was called back to HSH for an operation 2 days later DR Mo Akmal was amazing and provided the best reassurance and said “ she’s in a wheelchair but she will walk back out of here” I was jumping for joy my wife went in on a wheelchair and Alhamdulillah walked back out on her own 2 feet I just can’t thank DR MO AKMAL and his team at Harley Street Hospital the best place for treatment and the best care from the moment you enter their front door till you walk out 10/10

I was seen by Mr Akmal for a L4/L5 discectomy.

One of the biggest hurdles with any medical treatment is being comfortable and surrendering to the process. Mr Akmal and his team are consummate professionals with a very human bed side manner and give you the reassurance you need. I initially reached out to Mr Akmal via email and within a few hours he responded and an initial consultation was booked.

The team is welcoming from front desk through to admin, theatre staff and all support doctors. This is a reflection of Mr Akmal himself. Everyone had plenty of time and no question was too trivial. I never felt rushed in my pre operation appointments when Mr Akmal discussed all options and we jointly agreed on my discectomy. Given my pain level surgery was planned and I was booked within days of my initial consultation. I very quickly came to realise that I was not just a number as in no time everyone knew my name.

The day of the procedure I had a full briefing by the theatre staff who kept me updated on the time that I would be taken to theatre, with a pre op visit by Mr Akmal. The patient pods were very comfortable and clean. I walked to theatre and again the staff alleviated any anxiety I felt. Mr Akmal was already in theatre.

Post op the recovery team were wonderful ensuring that I was comfortable and provided a light refreshment. Mr Akmal came to see me two hours post op and I walked with him - pain free! The discharge was seamless and for the first few days the team called to check on me. Mr Akmal reviewed me in clinic two weeks post op and again had plenty of time for all my questions. I am now 5 weeks post op and healing well.

The London Spine Unit delivered on all my expectations. A very seamless team and service. A big thanks to Mr Akmal, Dr Lok, Rola and the whole team for looking after me.

I was checking for recommendations on the best spine clinics in London, and the London Spine Unit came up. Without a doubt it is one of the best or I would say the best Spine Unit in London or even in the UK.
I had the luck to be in the care of Dr Mo Akmal, which tried to find the best solution for my back issues and he did, I had surgery 2 weeks ago and it totally fixed my spine issue. I am pain free now and I can finally have a normal life with no pain at all, of course the care of the nurses and staff of the clinic very professional and very warm. Thank you for everything, I can't thank you enough for all the help given by the whole personal in the clinic.

Before treatment from Mo Akmal my quality of life was severely impacted by a herniated disc. Normally very active, I was bent double and could not walk, sit or stand for more than 15 minutes without chronic pain. I tried physiotherapy, a chiropractor and injections.

The surgery Mr Akmal performed was miraculous. I walked out of theatre upright for the first time in 6 months and have not had any problems since. It has felt unbelievably good to finally have my life back. A simple walk down the street has become such a joy. This surgery was worth every single penny.

Mr. Akmal performed lumbar decrompression/discectomy surgery on my back on the 24th September 2020. I am very pleased with the results as prior to the surgery I was experiencing an agonizing pain in my lower back going down my hips and left leg which no amount of anti-inflammatory pills would relieve and also, my mobility was being restricted. I am now on the road to recovery and I only have a slight pain /stiffness in my back once in a while. Very glad I took Mr. Akmal's advice and went ahead with the surgery.

I have had severe lower back pain for a period of about 18 months which has very much restricted by ability to walk anything other than short distances. As a previously very active person this has been a major restriction on my lifestyle. Over this period prior to seeing Mr Akmal i had seen or received treatment from 3 other orthopedic surgeons. I of whom said nothing could be done and another who recommended major open surgery which included replacing the disc and locking two discs together. In my view and the view of the other consultants whilst the open surgery suggested might help the problem very short term, it would most probably put more strain on the other discs causing greater damage long term. In addition i was keen to avoid further major surgery at my age (76).
Happily I found Mo Akmal, who takes a very cautious approach wishing to avoid major surgery, with all his treatments done in day care and generally under sedation rather than general anaesthetic.
Initially he recommended targeted steroid injections, with the objectives of both diagnosis and of permanent benefit. Whilst i have had steroid injections in the past the relief if any has been temporary only. In this case the benefit was immediate and lasting as I was able to walk much further than before the procedure without pain.
Mo Akmal then recommended a further procedure, Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression which is designed to dry up and shrink the disc reducing the impingement on the nerve, This took place together with further steroid injection in late September and i am very happy to say that the improvement has been remarkable. Whilst it is still early days, I am now able to walk 35 miles or so a week at least without any pain at the time or after. All nerve pain has disappeared and I have been able to stop completely all NSAIDs ( I was taking probably around 8 -10 a week previously).
Mo has a delightful manner and at the same time is honest and straight forward. He and his team are highly professional and friendly.
The whole procedure took about half an hour and I was out of the building half an hour later.

I recently had a Discectomy at the London Spine Unit in Harley street... the procedure was undertaken by Mr Mo Akmal and his team... I was suffering severe back pain and Sciatic nerve pain before the procedure and after just a few hours I left the unit without either problems.. the service and professionalism I received from Mr Akmal and his team was exceptional.

I had been suffering severe pain, discomfort and restricted movement for the best part of ten years (spinal stenosis) when I went to see Mr Mo Akmal for the first time. I had previously seen other specialists who described to me procedures that seemed rather primitive, with a long recovery period which I could not consider as I am self-employed and would have lost all my business given the time scales they were describing.

The procedure described by Mr Akmal by contrast was fast, minimally invasive and with an expectation I would be back on my feet within a couple of hours, leaving the Hospital shortly afterwards. This is indeed what transpired and I was back home before I knew it. The key it seems is relaxing the right muscles during the procedure and crucially not administering a general anaesthetic, so that the body is still functioning normally of its own volition, although the patient is not aware of anything until it is over.

I had the procedure on Monday the 26th of October and by Thursday I was able to walk 2.8 kilometres without pain and without stopping, this simple feat had been well out of reach for many years.

I am now continuing to build my fitness and to enjoy a way of life that had seemed closed to me. I still pinch myself every day as this is nothing short of a miracle in my life and I am so very grateful to Mr Akmal and his very efficient and charming colleagues for this wonderful gift.

I visited Mr Akmal with severe cervical radiculopathy and muscle loss due to a bulging cervical disk. I was unable to pick my children up, work full days or participate in any sports. I had exhausted all other avenues of treatment and had reservations about visiting a surgeon.

Mr Akmal put my mind at ease straight away. He is extremely professional, an excellent communicator and clearly has a great passion and expertise for what he does.

I had an MRI and two consultations in one morning which was extremely convenient and well organised. Mr Akmal then clearly and concisely talked me through the cause of my cervical pain and possible solutions and outcomes of treatments. I felt no pressure to have any procedures carried out and in fact, Mr Akmal discouraged me from surgery straight away due to the possibility of natural recovery. At no point did I feel rushed and Mr Akmal gave me all the time I needed to ask questions. I opted for steroid injections to possibly speed/help this process along.

Unfortunately, the cervical disc was quite stubborn and I returned 6 weeks later to have a cervical laser discectomy procedure.

All of my procedures were carried out onsite at the Harley Street Hospital. The facility is world-class and every member of Mr Akmal’s team were outstanding from start to finish. You truly feel like you are in the best hands possible.

9 months on I am pain-free and have returned to normal life. I am eternally grateful for Mr Akmal’s skill and the manner in which he helped me navigate a horrible chapter in my life.

I cannot recommend Mr Akmal highly enough.

I had a posterior lumbar discectomy/decompression and insertion of lumbar interlaminar stabilisation done by Mr Mo Akmal. I am very pleased with the result, the pain has virtually all gone, including the constant pain in my calves and it’s only two weeks post operation.
Mr Akmal was friendly and approachable. I was worried about having back surgery, he put my mind at rest.

I am 71 years old and since my late thirties been suffering with back pain. The episodes of pain had progressively got worse where the severe pain would come back every other week.
To try and minimise the episodes I was doing Pilates and stretching every day for at least one hour, also having physiotherapy every 2 weeks.
I have seen at least three other back specialists in the past and they all said that I had Chronic Non-Specific Back Pain from reading the MRI scans.
Mr Akmal studied the MRI scan results and could see something more specific and said that the nerves were being impinged by the vertebrae and ligaments and that they needed cut back and the vertebrae stabilised.
The operation took place in May soon after the Covid lockdown period started. I went up in a taxi in the morning and back home in a taxi in the afternoon. The first few days were uncomfortable, but gradually the pain has been easing up, so much so that I am hoping to play golf next week (12 weeks after surgery).
Apparently the impinged nerve was in a bad way, but now over time should come back to being "normal".

I had pain in my back for over a year and at 46 with 3 young children it had become a real problem, the pain had become so bad I could barely walk round the block without stopping several times.

It was affecting my daily mood as aside from the pain, I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do with the children.

I had tried 3 cortisone injections without success and a repeat MRI showed the bulged disc had got worse not better leaving a very narrow canal for the nerves.

I was told surgery (Microdiscectomy) was the only option and was recommended to Mo Akmal and his team as during the covid-19 pandemic options were limited but because he is able to perform this type of surgery as day surgery it could be done., and my case was becoming urgent

‘Back surgery’ seems to create an issue in peoples’ minds with an assumption that it can lead to months of difficult recovery, risk, uncertain outcomes and other concerns. Even my wife asked if I really felt it was necessary but for me, I knew I had no choice with constant 8/10 pain affecting my daily life.

The fact that Mo and the team made it seem so easy is the first thing I would say. It felt like a minor procedure rather than surgery and that is important! When my healthcare provider authorised the surgery they said it was a 3 days hospital stay but I assured them that it was a day procedure as Mo had explained to me and sure enough, I arrived at 8am and left at 4p.m, picked up by my wife.

The hospital is relaxing and clean, the staff were helpful and attentive, but the important bit is I was walking pain free 90 minutes after surgery, I dressed myself and went home, I was able to sleep normally and walk round the house from the time I got home, and was doing short walks within days. I was 100% pain free instantly and still am following my 6-week check and life is pretty much back to normal, just taking care for another 6 weeks or so with too much bending and twisting.

I cannot recommend Mo and his team highly enough. He has changed my life in a day and I’m eternally grateful”

A very good experience from beginning to end. Staff are friendly and welcoming. The hospital is spotlessly clean. Mr Akmal explained my issue and gave an option of treatments. The operating team were first class and my ever attentive nurse Mila put me at ease.
I would highly recommend the London Spine Clinic for treatment, absolutely faultless throughout

Following three months of excruciating sciatic pain Mr Mo Akmal performed a discectomy/ decompression procedure. The result was instantaneous, relief from pain and restoring my mobility within a couple of hours.
Although there are risks with any surgical procedure I considered these risks minimal. The minimally invasive surgery has allowed rapid rehabilitation and the results have been far beyond my expectation.
Thank you Mr Mo Akmal and your surgical team for restoring my life

I had a disc bulge (L3-L4/, L4-L5) about 5 years ago and had to do spinal decompression using the IDD machine at least twice a year in both the US and UK respectively. This was helpful but didn’t completely eliminate the pain. I walked up to the London Spine Unit at the Harley Street Hospital where I met Dr Mo Akmal and that marked a turning point in my lumbar back episode.

He introduced me to a novel technique- Laser Discectomy- a laser disc surgery. Dr. Akmal is the most professional, erudite and humane Doctor I’ve met in recent times. His confidence, care and compassion boosted my moral. Dr Akmal emits positive energy and looks at bright side of life. These virtues facilitated my decision to carry on with the procedure. In less than 45 minutes on my scheduled date I was done. All phobia gone. No pains, no relapse. I’m up & confident again leading my life with joy. Kudos to Dr Akmal and the great team at the London Spine Unit. I have no reservations whatsoever in recommending anyone or family that requires this treatment as they stand to benefit greatly.

I am a generally fit and healthy 31 year old, but when I first met Dr Akmal, I was in a bad way. I had been in increasingly bad pain for five months, and had gotten to the point where I was walking with a stick and unable to stand straight. An MRI scan showed the culprit was a severely slipped disc pressing on the sciatic nerve, and Dr Akmal advised that injections and laser surgery were unlikely to fix it. He advised minimally invasive lumbar decompression surgery, and I was operated on two weeks later. It was a day procedure, and I was able to stand up straight only a few hours after the surgery. 8 weeks later, I am walking and moving normally and have had very little pain, even immediately after the operation. I have my life back and couldn't be more grateful.

I recently had a spinal operation at this clinic and the staff were very reassuring and supportive throughout the process. The procedure went perfectly led by Dr Akmal. I can see no reason to not return here if any future problems occur.

After years of low back spasms both my ability and willingness to endure the pain ran out. I went to see Dr Mo Akmal who told me I had a nasty problem with a relatively simple solution. It was 10 weeks ago to the day I had the surgery to deal with 2 bulging discs, one of which was pushing significantly into the nerve. I feel physically and mentally transformed and I'm still within what would be considered the recovery period. Everyone I've dealt with at the London Spine Unit - be it on the phone or in person - have been good natured and good humoured and as a result I have absolutely no reservation in recommending them as professionals and all round good people.

Everyone, both medical and support staff, very friendly and helpful. I found the communication, treatment and care, including in my case, in-theatre spinal injections, excellent and professional . Although I only had a mild sedative as well as local anaesthetic, I felt so relaxed I fell asleep ! And my treatment has made a great improvement to my lower back problem.