Column Treatment Progress Report No. 205: A Patient Who Had Been Advised Surgery for Spondylolisthesis
April 11, 2026
The patient
A female patient in her 60s.
Treatment performed in April 2024.
More than 12 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient had disc degeneration in the areas indicated by the red frame (L3/4, 4/5, 5/s).
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
Around April 2023, the patient suddenly developed numbness. She visited a local orthopedic clinic and was diagnosed with a lumbar disc herniation.
In October 2023, lower back pain began to appear. She visited another medical institution and was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis. Surgery was recommended, but she hesitated to proceed.
She continued conservative treatment, including nerve block injections, but her symptoms did not improve.
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 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 week after treatment | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1 month after treatment | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 Week After Treatment, the patient experienced lower back pain for about 2–3 days after the procedure. Numbness tended to appear in the evening.
1 Month After Treatment, lower back pain had decreased, although numbness remained in the left leg.
3 Months After Treatment, the sharp pain had changed into a feeling of heaviness and dull discomfort.
6 Months After Treatment, lower back pain still occurred with certain movements, but the numbness had disappeared and the patient reported feeling well overall.
In this case, disc degeneration was considered to be the primary source of symptoms.
Although surgery had been recommended for the patient’s spondylolisthesis, symptom improvement following treatment suggests that spondylolisthesis itself may not have been the main cause of the pain.
Lower back pain can result from various factors, including bones, intervertebral discs, muscles, and surrounding tissues.
If you have been advised to undergo surgery, or if you continue to experience symptoms even after surgery, please feel free to contact our clinic.
* 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
