Column Treatment Progress Report No.202: A Patient Who Saw Symptom Improvement One Week After Treatment
March 18, 2026
The patient
A male patient in his 50s
Treatment Date: April 2024 (more than 12 months post-treatment)
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient showed intervertebral disc degeneration at the levels indicated in red (L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S).
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
The patient first experienced acute low back pain at around age 23, which improved with chiropractic care at the time.
In 2013, he noticed discomfort in his lower back after hearing a “popping” sound, similar to a balloon bursting. Since then, he has experienced symptoms approximately once per year.
In 2024, he developed severe low back pain and visited a local orthopedic clinic, where he was diagnosed with significant disc degeneration and loss of volume in the majority of his discs.
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 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 1 week after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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 follow-up.
After 1 week: Pain and numbness had completely resolved, making daily life much easier.
After 1 month: Slight pain when washing his face, but it quickly subsided.
After 3 months: Previously, mornings were the most painful time, but recently the pain is gone.
After 6 months: The patient continues to live pain-free.
In this case, the primary issue was multi-level disc degeneration.
Although nearly two years have passed since treatment, the patient remains stable with no recurrence of symptoms.
The favorable outcome is likely due to a combined effect of short-term relief from nerve block therapy and the long-term benefits of the Discogel Method.
* 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
