Column Treatment report No.17 Case of a patient who saw no improvement with block injections

This is the case of a patient who decided to get treated at our clinic after receiving block injections which failed to cure the pain completely.

The patient: Male in his 50s

Treated in October, 2022. 5 months have elapsed since he received treatment

The patient had disc degeneration in the areas indicated by the red rectangles (discs 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, and 5/s).

The findings of fissures in each of the discs indicated that a herniation had occurred in the past.

Progression before treatment

The patient had been suffering from back pain since he was in high school. He also had a history of strained back.

The main symptoms were constant dull pain in his lower back and numbness from his hips to his lower limbs.

He received block injections which sometimes had no visible effect, so he decided to come to our clinic for treatment.

Treatment

Treatment was performed with the Cellgel method on a total of 4 disc sites (2/3, 3/4, 4/5, and 5/s).

Progression after treatment

The table below shows the patient’s evaluation of pain in each area on a scale of 0 to 10.

The case of no pain at all is rated as 0, and the maximum possible pain is rated as 10.

The following are extracted from the feedback from the patient when contacted for the follow-ups:

-At the one-week follow-up, at first, he felt that he was getting better steadily, but five days after treatment, he developed pain and numbness in his lower back. The next day it was better, but the pain was still randomly present.

-After the 1-month mark, the pain remained a little but got better to the point where he could do his daily activities normally.

-After 3 months, he started considering playing golf again, although muscle pain like symptoms were still present in his lower back.

During the treatment, anesthesia is injected into the DiscoGel and surrounding nerves. Immediately after the treatment, you may feel the same effect as a block injection. The pain immediately after treatment is thought to be an exacerbation of the pain due to the DiscoGel entering the disc and increasing the volume of the disc as the effect of the block injection wears off.

We are very happy for the patient that he recovered so far as to be able to fulfill his goal of playing golf by spring.

We wish the patient to keep enjoying golf within reason.

* It takes about 3 weeks to 3 months to see the full effects of the treatment.

* There may be individual differences in the effects of the treatment. Please be aware that the same exact results may not be replicated depending on the patients.

Treatments at our Clinic

Here is some additional information about the Cellgel method that we have introduced here.

Cost of the Cellgel method: 1,420,000 yen per site (including tax) to 1,860,000 yen per 5 sites (including tax) .

Risks and side effects of the Cellgel method:Transient pain may occur after treatment. Nerve damage is never a zero possibility due to the very nature of the treatment, but there have been no reports of damage in either report cases or in publications. There is a very small possibility of allergic reactions to local anesthetics. Symptoms may temporarily worsen during the first week or two after treatment. This is believed to be due to the decompression effect of the implant, which retracts the surrounding tissues. In addition, if the disc has lost its volume almost completely, it may not be possible to perform the treatment. The doctor will consult with you at the time of your visit to determine the best treatment option for your condition.

Please refer to the following links for more information on the Cellgel method: