Column Treatment Progress Report No. 35: A Patient Who Recovered Enough to Enjoy Playing Golf Comfortably Again
May 24, 2023
The patient
A male patient in his 60s
Treated in January 2023. Approximately 4 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient was diagnosed with a lumbar disc herniation at L4/5 (highlighted in red).
Additionally, disc degeneration was observed at L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
June 2020: During a medical check-up, it was noted that his height had decreased by 7 mm. Around that time, he began feeling heaviness in his lower back.
July 2022: After playing golf, he experienced pain in the right lower back and right leg. He visited a local orthopedic clinic and was diagnosed with L4/5 disc herniation. A nerve block injection was administered.
September 2022: As symptoms did not improve, he sought a second opinion and was advised to undergo surgery.
Wanting to avoid hospitalization and surgery, he came to our clinic for treatment instead.
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 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 1 week after treatment | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 Week Post-Treatment: Low back pain/heaviness remained, but other areas were good.
1 Month Post-Treatment: Felt some stiffness upon waking, but had no issues with other daily activities.
3 Months Post-Treatment: The patient occasionally felt a sharp, fleeting pain when standing up from a chair or getting out of the car. He expressed great satisfaction to be able to play golf again.
This patient responded quickly to treatment. While he is still aware of some motions that may cause momentary discomfort, he is mindful of not doing these movements in his daily life and is currently symptom-free and overall highly satisfied, which is very gratifying for us too.
* 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 Clinic’s Treatment
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
