Column Progress Report No.24: A Patient Who Regained the Ability to Walk After Experiencing Severe Numbness
April 25, 2023
The patient
A female patient in her 60s.
Treated in November 2022. Approximately 5 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
Imaging revealed disc degeneration at the L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S discs (indicated by the red square).
Foraminal Stenosis was also observed across all four levels (L2/3 through L5/S).
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
2020: The patient experienced severe pain around the right hip after squatting. She was diagnosed with a collapsed intervertebral disc at a local orthopedic clinic.
2021: Sneezing triggered excruciating pain from the right lower back to the buttock.
October 2022: Recurrent low back pain appeared but temporarily improved with pain medication. Shortly thereafter, numbness spread from the right thigh to the foot, making walking difficult. The patient then visited our clinic for treatment.
Treatment
The Cellgel Method was performed on a total of four discs: L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S, which were identified as the source of her symptoms.
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 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 3 |
| 1 week after treatment | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 Week: Improving, but feels a little heavy on rainy days.
1 Month: Experiences numbness from the left groin to the toe in the morning. Has the same feeling when sitting.
3 Months: Only feels slight numbness upon waking, but it does not last long.
Pain relief occurred rapidly after treatment.
In contrast, numbness—often caused by prolonged nerve compression— typically takes longer to resolve.
In this case, the duration and intensity of numbness progressively decreased, suggesting that the compressed nerve roots were recovering.
The patient was advised to continue walking and stretching within a comfortable range.
* 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
