April 26, 2023

Patient

Male in his 70s

Treated in November 2022. About 5 months have passed since the treatment

Symptoms and treatment

The patient had a right-sided herniated disc in the area indicated by the red rectangle (disc 4/5).

Intervertebral disc L1/2 showed degeneration of the intervertebral plate, and L3/4 also showed foraminal stenosis.

Evolution prior to treatment

From the beginning of 2022, numbness appeared in his right lower limb, and now numbness symptoms extend all the way to the left toes.

In September 2022, when he woke up in the morning, he had developed pain in his right lower limb and was unable to move, so he visited an orthopedic surgeon, who diagnosed him with spinal canal stenosis. He received block injections twice, but his condition did not improve, so he decided to receive treatment at our clinic.

The treatment at our clinic

The patient was treated with the Cellgel method on a total of 3 intervertebral discs (1/2, 3/4, and 4/5).

Evolution consecutive to treatment

The following is a chart in which the patient himself rated the pain value of each area on a scale of 0 to 10.

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

	Lower back	Lower limbs	Numbness	Buttocks
Before treatment	2	8	9	5
One week after treatment	2	8	9	4
1 month after treatment	1	7	8	4
3 months after treatment	0	0	8	0

The following comments were obtained from the patient when contacted for follow-up.

After one week, the time period for which he was able to drive a car had increased by about 15 minutes, although his feet and toes still felt numb.

After 1 month, he felt a little better, but the symptoms in his feet were still there, especially when standing up. He was unable to sit for long periods of time and only up to 10 minutes.

After 3 months, all symptoms except numbness have improved. He stretches and walks about 10,000 steps every day.

Until the 3 months mark, he was worried because he could see only gradual improvement in his symptoms.

We are glad to see that he is able to accomplish more than before, and are also happy that he is making efforts on his own, such as stretching, and that his symptoms apart from the numbness have improved.

We have decided to take some more time to observe how the symptoms of numbness will improve over time.

It takes about 3 weeks to 3 months to see the effect of the treatment.

The effect of the treatment varies from person to person. Please be aware that there is a possibility that the same effect may not be obtained.

Our clinic’s treatment method

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

Cost of the Cellgel method: 1,420,000 yen per area (including tax) to 1,860,000 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: