Spine care + checkup + TCM

One stay in China: your spine treatment, a full health checkup and TCM care alongside it

Whether you need surgery or a specialist decides to try other treatment first, a spine trip means days to weeks in China. A full health checkup and TCM consultations with a hospital physician fit into the same stay, the same plan and the same quote.

CNY 23,250–53,500 (≈ USD 3,450–8,000)
Spine surgery total bill before insurance, medians of what patients in China report paying, from minimally invasive disc surgery to lumbar fusion (Chinese patient reports, 2025–26): CNY 1,500 (≈ USD 220)
Full health checkup, median of what patients in China report paying (Chinese patient reports, 2025–26): CNY 50–100 (≈ USD 7–15)
TCM outpatient consultation, Beijing public tertiary hospital, by physician grade: CNY 100 (≈ USD 15)
Acupuncture, per self-paid session, median of what patients in China report paying (Chinese patient reports, 2025–26)

1 · Your spine treatment

Surgery, or other treatment first

A Chinese spine surgeon reviews your MRI and history and says whether surgery suits you or other treatment should come first. Surgery is quoted individually, because there is no official price for foreign patients. For reference, patients in China report total bills before insurance of about CNY 23,250 (≈ USD 3,450) for an endoscopic or minimally invasive operation and CNY 53,500 (≈ USD 8,000) for a lumbar fusion (Chinese patient reports, 2025–26), and in Shanghai endoscopic disc surgery carries the same surgeon’s fee as open surgery. Foreign patients pay the full price.

2 · Health checkup

A full checkup in the same hospital system

Any spine operation starts with tests to confirm you are fit for surgery. A full checkup goes further: patients in China report paying a median of about CNY 1,500 (≈ USD 220) for one, mostly CNY 530–4,000 (≈ USD 79–600), and about CNY 4,000 (≈ USD 600) for a high-end or VIP package (Chinese patient reports, 2025–26).

3 · TCM alongside your care

TCM consultations while you stay

In China, TCM is part of hospital care and is used alongside medical treatment. A TCM physician reads your tongue and pulse, describes your constitution and may suggest acupuncture, tui na massage or changes to diet, sleep and daily routine, agreed with your spine doctor. A consultation costs about CNY 50–100 (≈ USD 7–15) depending on the physician’s grade, and acupuncture about CNY 100 (≈ USD 15) a session. It is supporting care: it does not replace your surgeon’s or physiotherapist’s instructions, and people respond differently.

Why one stay

You will be in China for some time anyway

After a spinal operation you stay until your surgeon agrees a flight date, and that can mean weeks. Non-surgical treatment also runs as a course of sessions. The same hospital system can usually book the checkup and TCM visits around your spine care, so one plan and one quote cover all three.

We handle the China part

An English-speaking coordinator from airport to aftercare

We book the hospital, meet you at the airport, arrange a hotel near the hospital, put an interpreter beside you at every appointment, help with WeChat and Alipay payment, translate your reports into English and stay in touch for follow-up after you fly home.

How your package quote works

1
1. Tell us about your back or neck
Describe your symptoms, treatments so far and history. You can send your MRI when we follow up.
2
2. Choose your extras
Pick a checkup tier and whether to add TCM consultations during your stay. Not sure? We suggest one.
3
3. Get one quote
Your spine treatment itemised, the checkup tier, the TCM visits, and a timeline that includes the recovery before you fly.
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4. Decide at your own pace
Nothing is charged now. If we can’t help with your case, we’ll tell you.

Common questions

What non-surgical treatments are there for chronic back pain?

Common options include physiotherapy and exercise, pain medicines and spinal injections. Which of them suits you is a decision for a spine specialist who has seen your scans and examined you. In China, TCM is part of hospital care and is used alongside them: a physician may suggest acupuncture, tui na massage, moxibustion or a herbal formula, usually as a course of sessions. The physician reads your tongue and pulse first, so two people with the same scan may get different treatment, and results differ from person to person. TCM works alongside medical care in China, not instead of it.

Does an epidural steroid injection help with sciatica?

An epidural steroid injection places a steroid medicine close to an irritated nerve in the spine to reduce inflammation and pain. How much it helps and for how long varies from person to person, and whether it suits you is decided by a spine specialist after reviewing your MRI. If you come to China, the surgeon can discuss injections, physiotherapy and surgery with you during the same consultation.

Is surgery the answer for chronic back pain?

Not always. Surgery is usually considered when a specific problem, such as a disc pressing on a nerve, is seen on the scan and matches your symptoms, or when other treatment has not helped. A spine surgeon decides after reviewing your MRI and examining you. Send your scans and history first, and a Chinese spine surgeon will say whether surgery or other treatment suits you before you plan any travel.

Which exercises are safe with lower back pain or sciatica?

It depends on the cause of your pain, so ask a physiotherapist or doctor for exercises chosen for your condition, especially if you have both a disc problem and spinal stenosis. Stop and get advice if an exercise makes leg pain, numbness or weakness worse. During a stay in China, a rehabilitation or TCM physician can see you in person and adjust the plan with your spine doctor.

Sciatica and Back Pain Without Surgery: Exercise, Injections, TCM
Non-surgical options for sciatica and back pain: safe exercises, stretching, steroid injections and TCM, plus how to combine an MRI, checkup and TCM in China.

USD amounts converted at about CNY 6.70 per USD (2026-10-07), for reference only. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.