Column Treatment Progress Report No. 109: a Patient Whose Condition Improved 2 Weeks After the Treatment
April 22, 2024
The patient
A male patient in his 60s.
Treated in June 2023, approximately 10 months have passed since the treatment.
Symptoms and treatment
This patient had degenerative disc disease in the areas indicated by the red frames (L3/4, 4/5).
Both L3/4 and 4/5 had narrowing of both intervertebral foramina.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments
The patient had frequent episodes of strained back.
Current situation: 2 months ago, he felt a strange sensation in his lower back, and then began to feel numbness in his right lower limb. He took painkillers and waited to see how it would evolve, and a week ago, he began to feel an improvement.
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 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 1 week after treatment | 9 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for the follow-up.
After one week, the pain went away when he started walking about 50 to 100 meters.
After one month, the pain completely disappeared after about two weeks of treatment. His back hurt for a while, but after about two days, the pain went away again.
After three months, there were no symptoms remaining at all.
After 6 months, he is very delighted that the symptoms have not reappeared.
In this case, the cause of the symptoms is thought to have been the narrowing of the intervertebral foramen due to the protrusion of the intervertebral discs.
The reason why the pain worsened immediately after the treatment is thought to be that the symptoms appeared due to the increase in the volume of the intervertebral discs caused by the injection of Discogel into the intervertebral discs.
As time passed, the volume of the intervertebral disc returned to normal and the symptoms disappeared accordingly.
Since the patient has not had any sudden back pain since the treatment and is taking care of his body by himself, we hope that he will continue to remain free of symptoms.
* It takes about 3 weeks to 3 months to see the full effects of the treatment.
* Effects in the treatment may vary according to individual differences. Please be aware that there is a possibility that the exact same effects may not be replicated every time.
Our clinic’s treatment method
Here is some additional information about the Cellgel method that we have presented here.
Cost of the Cellgel method: 1,320,000 yen per site (including tax) to 1,760,000 yen for 5 sites (including tax)
Cost for this patient’s case: Cellgel performed in 2 areas = 1,430,000 yen (including tax)
Risks and side effects of the Cellgel method: Transient pain may occur after treatment. Due to the very nature of the treatment, the possibility of nerve damage is not nonexistent, but so far there have been no reports of damage in either reported cases or publications. There is a very small possibility of allergic reactions to the local anesthetic. 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 pulls in the surrounding tissues. Also, if the disc is almost completely worn out, it may not be possible to treat it. The doctor will consult with you during your visit to determine the best treatment option for your condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the following links:
Column page explaining the Cellgel method in an easy-to-understand manner
Page of the Cellgel procedure at our clinic
This article was written by the administrative Director of our clinic
