Column Treatment Progress No. 193: A Patient Who Experienced Temporary Symptom Exacerbation Followed by Improvement
December 27, 2025
The patient
A male patient in his 70s
Treated in April 2024. Approximately 12 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient had spinal canal stenosis in the areas indicated by the red frame (L4/5).
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
Around November 2023, the patient began experiencing pain in the lower extremities.
He wished to avoid surgical intervention and therefore visited our clinic seeking a less invasive treatment option.
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 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 week after treatment | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
At 1 week: For the first 4 days after treatment, there were no symptoms at all. Later, numbness appeared in the right toes.
At 1 month: When walking for long periods, a heavy, dull sensation occured in the right calf.
At 3 months: A heavy, dull sensation has appeared from the right buttock down to the lower limb. Occasional numbness in the fingertips was also reported.
At 6 months: At 6 months: Symptoms have significantly decreased. Only mild heaviness in the ankle occurred after prolonged walking.
This case involved a patient with spinal canal stenosis.
The temporary symptom exacerbation observed at 3 months post-treatment is considered to be related to the increased intradiscal pressure resulting from the Cellgel Method. During this phase, the location and nature of pain or numbness may change.
The patient is now spending his daily life without symptoms and expressed great satisfaction with the outcome.
* 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 Treatment Method
Supplementary Information on the Cellgel Method
Cost of the Cellgel 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
