Column Treatment Case Report No. 80｜ ILC International Lumbago Clinic (Tokyo Clinic)

 June 17, 2023

 Patient case

 The patient

A male patient in his 40s.

The patient’s medical history to date

In his 20s, the patient was diagnosed with disc herniation. His condition improved with conservative treatment.

In April 2023, he developed sciatic neuralgia.

In May 2023, he developed pain in his right lower back and numbness in his right lower limb. The patient was given painkillers and told to monitor his condition.

The patient came to our clinic to improve his symptoms.

Symptoms before treatment

・Pain levels before treatment

	Lower back	Lower limbs	Numbness	Buttocks
Pain level	9	8	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 forward: no change

Bending backward: tightness in the right waist.

 Lasegue test: no change.

 point of tenderness: none.

 Additional explanations on our clinic’s medical examination

・Daily activities

 Pain increases when standing up.

The patient’s walking ability is unaffected.

Imaging and findings

•  L4/5/s – disc degeneration
•  L4/5 – disc herniation
•  L4/5 – spinal canal stenosis

The above findings were also observed on the imaging.

 ・ L4/5- disc herniation, stenosis of the spinal canal, which is the probable cause of the pain and numbness

 ・ L5/s- disc degeneration and foraminal stenosis may also be a probable cause of the pain and numbness.

 We suggested the treatment as above based on the medical examination and the imaging findings.

 Treatment

 The Cellgel Method was performed on disc L4/5/s.

 Treatment was done by our Administrative Director.

This is an image of the patient’s back after the Discogel injection.

 The treatment took about 30 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)

 *Cost for this particular patient’s case: Cellgel Method on 2 sites = 1,430,000 yen (including tax)

Risks and side effects of the Cellgel Method: Transient pain may occur after treatment. Although nerve damage cannot be non-existent due to the very nature of the treatment, 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 aggravate 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, treatment may be difficult. The doctor will discuss with the patient during their visit to the clinic to determine the best treatment option for the 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 AdministrativeDirector of our clinic