Column Treatment Progress No.88 A patient who had pain for 10 years but now feels fully healed
Patient
Female in her 60s
Treated in April 2023. About 8 months have passed since the treatment at the time of this interview
Symptoms and treatment
This patient has intervertebral disc degeneration in 3 locations as indicated in the red box (L3/4, 4/5, and 5/s).
The 3 discs also show spinal stenosis.
L4/5 shows spondylolisthesis towards the anterior.
Evolution prior to treatment
10 years ago: When she woke up in the morning, she felt something strange in her lower back
After visiting a local orthopedic clinic she was diagnosed with an intervertebral disc herniation and given some healing pads to treat it.
In February 2023, when shoveling snow, she her hurt her back. She was told if she felt symptoms in her legs, she should have surgery.
She decided to have treatment at our clinic.
Evolution consecutive to treatment
The following is a chart in which the patient herself 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 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| One week after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following comments were obtained from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
After one week, her lower back felt a little strange, but there was no pain.
After 1 month, she used to feel pain when she twisted her back, but now it doesn’t hurt.
After 3 months, she felt some pain when waking up but it went away after moving around a bit. She didn’t feel pain when cutting the grass or watching children.
After 6 months, there was a little strange feeling in her lumbar area, but the pain was entirely gone.
The pain this patient felt seems to have come from the spinal stenosis.
The L4 disc had spondylolisthesis towards the anterior, so even though the pain that came from the disc will heal, some pain will remain.
In regards to how our clinic treats patients, we think that rehabilitation is also very important and we recommended it to her.
※ 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: 1,320,000 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:
