Column Treatment Progress Report No.185: A Patient Whose Improvement Was So Significant She Forgot About Her Pain Altogether
October 18, 2025
The patient
A female patient in her 50s.
Treated in March 2024. Approximately 12 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
MRI findings showed disc degeneration at the areas marked in red (L3/4 and L4/5).
Although some degeneration was also observed at L5/S1, it was not correlated with her symptoms and was therefore excluded from treatment.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
The patient first developed acute low back pain (lumbago) around age 30.
In 2023, she developed severe pain radiating down her left leg and was diagnosed with lumbar spinal canal stenosis at a local orthopedic clinic.
Conservative treatments such as pain medication and nerve block injections were tried without any apparent improvement.
The patient visited our clinic seeking to improve her symptoms.
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 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 week after treatment | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 Week After Treatment:
Felt an awkward sensation in the left leg like her left leg was tripping when walking, but otherwise had no issues with daily activities.
1 Month After Treatment:
Mild symptoms appeared when standing for long periods but improved when sitting down.
3 Months After Treatment:
Original knee discomfort remained, but numbness and radiating pain had disappeared.
6 Months After Treatment:
Reported living completely free of pain — to the point of having forgotten all about it.
This patient was diagnosed with lumbar disc degeneration.
While mild symptoms persisted immediately after treatment, they gradually improved over time, leading to a complete resolution of pain and numbness.
We are very pleased that her symptoms improved with our treatment, even though she had seen no improvement with conservative management.
* 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 Cergel 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
