Column Treatment Progress Report No. 36: A Patient Who Initially Improved Quickly After Treatment, Before Experiencing Temporary Aggravation; Finally Free of Pain and Numbness After The 6 month Mark
May 27, 2023
The patient
A male patient in his 70s
Treated in November 2022. Approximately 6 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient was diagnosed with lumbar spinal canal stenosis affecting the discs at L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S, as indicated by the red-marked areas.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
2019: Underwent endoscopic surgery for lumbar spinal canal stenosis and disc herniation, with symptoms initially improving.
July 2022: Pain and numbness developed in the left buttock and lower limb. Another endoscopic surgery was performed.
August 2022: As symptoms did not improve, a third surgery was carried out. The symptoms then gradually subsided.
Since mild symptoms persisted, the patient visited our clinic for further treatment.
Treatment
The Cellgel Method was performed on a total of four intervertebral discs: L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S.
Post-treatment progress
The table below shows the results of the patient’s own evaluation of the pain in each body site on a scale of 0 to 10.
No pain at all is rated as 0 and 10 as the maximum possible pain.
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before treatment | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1 week after treatment | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 Week Post-Treatment: Felt better compared to pre-treatment, but numbness still remained.
1 Month Post-Treatment: Woke up with a tingling sensation in his foot. Pain was alleviated by medication.
3 Months Post-Treatment: Woke up with pain and numbness in the left foot. It gradually subsided once he started walking.
6 Months Post-Treatment: The patient is living a life free of pain and numbness. He reported that even hiking and gathering mountain vegetables cause no discomfort at all.
This patient was troubled by numbness in the left lower limb upon waking, but we are happy that his symptoms had disappeared by the 6-month mark.
At the three-month mark follow-up, he mentioned walking around 8,000 steps daily, so the gradual strengthening of his muscles likely contributed to his recovery.
The Cellgel method reduces disc-related symptoms, which should allow him to lead a more comfortable and active life.
* Results vary among individuals. Please be aware that identical outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
* It generally takes 3 weeks to 3 months for treatment effects to appear.
Our Treatment Method
Supplementary Information on the Cellgel Method
Cost of the Cergel Method:
¥1,320,000 / 1 site (tax included)
to ¥1,760,000 / 5 sites (tax included)
Risks and Side Effects:
Temporary pain may occur after treatment.
Nerve injury is theoretically possible due to the nature of the procedure, but no such cases have been reported in our own experience or in published studies.
Extremely rare risk of allergic reaction to local anesthetic.
Symptoms may temporarily worsen for 1–2 weeks after treatment, believed to be due to decompression effects of the implant pulling on surrounding tissue.
If the disc is severely collapsed or nearly gone, treatment may not be possible.
The physician will discuss suitable treatment options with each patient depending on their condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the following links:
Blog page explaining the Cellgel Method in an easy-to-understand manner
The Cellgel Method on our treatment methods page
This article was written by the administrative Director of our clinic
