Column Treatment Progress Report No. 190: A Patient whose Lower Limb Symptoms Disappeared, but Low Back Pain Persisted
December 3, 2025
The patient
A female patient in her 70s.
reated in March 2024. Approximately 12 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient was diagnosed with Spinal Canal Stenosis at the levels indicated by the red box (L3/4 and L4/5).
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
In 2022, the patient developed numbness and pain in the right lower limb while moving house.
She was managing her symptoms by taking pain medication.
She visited our clinic seeking symptom improvement.
Post-treatment progress
The table below shows the patient’s self-assessment of pain levels (0=None, 10=Maximum Pain).
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before treatment | 5 | 9 | 7 | 8 |
| 1 week after treatment | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| 1 month after treatment | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 months after treatment | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 months after treatment | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
The following is feedback from the patient’s self-assessment when contacted for follow-up.
The table below shows the patient’s self-assessment of pain levels
1 Week Post-Treatment: Symptoms were slightly relieved when sitting in a chair.
1 Month Post-Treatment: She no longer needed to take pain medication. She still felt some numbness, but it was not bothersome.
3 Months Post-Treatment: Low back pain has continuously persisted.
6 Months Post-Treatment: She feels comfortable when sitting or lying down, but experiences pain in her back when adopting a forward-bending posture. Other symptoms have subsided.
This patient was treated for spinal canal stenosis.
Symptoms in the lower limbs (pain and numbness) improved significantly and have largely resolved.
Low back pain remains to some degree, likely due to mechanisms other than disc pathology.
We believe additional rehabilitation intervention will help maximize treatment effect and further reduce symptoms.
* 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
