Column Treatment Progress Report No.210: A Patient with a Vertebral Compression Fracture
June 10, 2026
The patient
A female patient in her 80s.
Treated in September 2025. Approximately 7 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
Lumbar foraminal stenosis was identified at L4/5 and L5/S1, indicated by the red box on the MRI. Her condition was monitored using a medical corset and topical patches.
An L3 vertebral compression fracture was also identified.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
In 2024, the patient was diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis and was treated conservatively with a lumbar brace and medicated patches.
Over time, her posture became increasingly stooped, and walking became progressively more difficult.
The patient visited our clinic seeking to improve 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 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 week after treatment | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
One month after treatment, low back pain had completely resolved, but mild numbness remained.
One month after treatment, the patient continued wearing a lumbar brace because of the compression fracture. Numbness reoccurred when the brace was removed.
3 months after treatment, the patient experienced lower back pain triggered by a bout of shingles (herpes zoster).
6 Months after treatment, the patient reported living a symptom-free life, with the numbness completely resolved.
Although the patient also had an L3 vertebral compression fracture, we concluded that her primary symptoms were mainly caused by foraminal stenosis resulting from degenerative disc disease at L4/5 and L5/S1.
Based on the distribution of the numbness and neurological findings, the foraminal stenosis at L4/5 and L5/S1 was determined to be the principal source of her symptoms rather than stenosis related to the compression fracture.
The patient also continued participating in rehabilitation throughout her recovery and reported experiencing firsthand the importance of regular exercise.
* 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
