Column Treatment Progress Report No. 38: A Patient Whose Pain Increased One Week Following Treatment
June 2, 2023
The patient
A female patient in her 70s.
Treated in January 2023. Approximately 4 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
Disc degeneration was observed in the intervertebral discs at L1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, and 5/S (the area indicated by the red frame).
Stenosis (i.e. narrowing) of the disc space was observed at L2/3, 3/4, and 4/5. The degeneration at L4/5 was too severe for the procedure itself to be performed.
Symptoms and treatments to date
In her 20s: Hospitalized for lumbar disc herniation
Summer 2020: Pain developed near the right hip joint. Surgery was recommended but the patient declined.
She subsequently learned about our clinic and decided to undergo treatment.
Treatment
The Cellgel Method was performed at a total of four intervertebral disc levels:
L1/2, L2/3, L3/4, and L5/S1.
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 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 week after treatment | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 month after treatment | 6 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 months after treatment | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
At 1 week: Pain in the right buttock persisted
At 1 month: Severe pain during walking; constant pain in the hip joint
At 3 months: Pain had significantly eased; buttock pain decreased from daily occurrence to occasional episodes
For approximately one week after treatment, patients often experience improvement similar to the effects of a nerve block injection.
After this initial period, as that effect wears off, pain may temporarily exacerbate (worsen). However, as time progresses, both the intensity and frequency of pain typically decrease gradually.
In this patient’s case, the hip joint pain was considered less likely to be directly related to the lumbar spine, and therefore she was referred to another orthopedic clinic for further evaluation.
* 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 Cellgel 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
