May 08, 2025

The patient

A female patient in her 60s.

The patient’s medical history to date

When the patient was around 26 years old, she suffered a strained back after lifting a heavy object. She was merely put under observation.

Several years ago, she became conscious of her symptoms. She was experiencing occasional back pain when lifting heavy objects.

The pain was usually gone when she woke up, and she was able to lead her daily life without any problem as long as she wore a lumbar belt.

About six months ago, she began to feel back pain continuously.

A few months ago, she began to experience numbness at work and when driving, and her symptoms suddenly aggravated.

She visited another hospital, but after an x-ray only examination, it was pointed out that her disc was collapsed in 5/s.

Since she was told that her condition was mild and would not cause any pain, she was treated with medication and traction and advised to monitor her condition.

The patient visited our clinic seeking to improve his symptoms.

Symptoms before treatment

Low back pain, buttock pain, numbness and pain in the lower limb, predominantly on the left side.

Turning over in bed: somewhat difficult

Standing up: somewhat difficult

Washing one’s face: somewhat difficult

Prolonged semi-crouched position and standing: somewhat difficult

Prolonged sitting: very difficult　

Lifting and carrying heavy objects: very difficult

・Pain levels before treatment

	Lower back	Lower limbs	Numbness	Buttocks
Pain level	8	9	8	9

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, left lower limb.

Bending backward: no change

Bending forward: reduced mobility

Lasegue test: pain at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees on both sides

Lumbar points of tenderness : L3/4 on the left side, L4/5 and 5/s on the left buttock

Coughing/sneezing: aggravation started several months earlier

Additional explanations on our clinic’s medical examination

Imaging and findings

• L4/5, 5/s – disc degeneration, protrusion

The above findings were also observed on the imaging.

Findings show that the compression of the spinal canal of disc L4/5, 5/s is the probable cause of the patient’s symptoms.

Treatment

After consulting with the patient, the Cellgel Method was performed on L4/5 and 5/s.

The treatment was performed by Dr. Ohara.

The treatment took about 70 minutes.

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

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