Treatment Case Studies
& Blog

Column Treatment Case Report No. 109| ILC International Lumbago Clinic (Osaka Clinic)

March 01, 2025

The patient

A male patient in his 70s.

The patient’s medical history to date

 4 or 5 years ago, the patient started experiencing pain in the buttocks.

 His local doctor diagnosed him with spinal stenosis.

 Gradually, back pain and intermittent claudication (after 10 minutes) began to occur.

 The patient visited our clinic seeking to improve his symptoms.

Symptoms before treatment

・Pain levels before treatment

Lower backLower limbsNumbnessButtocks
Pain level7877

No pain at all is rated as 0, and the maximum possible pain is rated as 10.

Main areas of pain and numbness: lower back, lower limbs.

Bending forward: possible

Bending backward: difficult

Lasegue test: negative

MMT: full

Point of tenderness: none

Coughing and sneezing: no aggravation

Additional explanations on our clinic’s medical examination

Imaging and findings

  • L2/3 – disc degeneration, protrusion
  • L4/5 – disc degeneration, protrusion, spinal canal stenosis, spondylolisthesis with instability

The above findings were also observed on the imaging.

Compression of the spinal canal as observed in the findings of disc L2/3 and 4/5 is the probable cause of pain.

Treatment

After consulting with the patient, the Cellgel Method was performed on L2/3 and 4/5.

The treatment was performed by Dr. Kotera.

The treatment took about 25 minutes.

After resting in the recovery room, the patient was able to walk home by himself.

Our clinic’s treatment method

Additional information about the Cellgel method we have introduced in this column.

Cost of the Cellgel method: 1,320,000 yen per area (including tax) to 1,760,000 yen per 5 areas (including tax)

Risks and side effects of the Cellgel method: Transient pain may occur after treatment. Nerve damage is not a zero possibility due to the very nature of the treatment, but there have been no reports of damage so far in either report cases or 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 is almost completely collapsed, treatment may be difficult. The doctor hold a consultation with you during your visit to the clinic to determine the best treatment option for your 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