Column Treatment Progress Report No. 33: A Patient Whose Symptoms Initially Worsened After Treatment, Then Finally Began to Improve One Month Later
May 19, 2023
The patient
A male patient in his 70s
Treated in December 2022. Approximately 5 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis at the disc levels indicated by the red boxes (L2/3, L3/4, and L4/5). Treatment was ruled out for L2/3 due to the low disc height.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
2020: Underwent spinal surgery, after which symptoms temporarily improved.
October 2022: Began experiencing pain in the right buttock and right lower limb when walking for long periods.
November 2022: Slipped and fell down a slope, resulting in difficulty walking.
A nerve root block only provided relief for about two weeks, leading him to seek treatment at our clinic.
Treatment
The Cellgel Method was performed on a total of 3 intervertebral discs: L1/2, L3/4, and L4/5.
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 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 |
| 1 week after treatment | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 |
| 1 month after treatment | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 months after treatment | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 Week Post-Treatment: Pain was worse than before treatment. Pain in the right buttock and right leg made it difficult to walk.
1 Month Post-Treatment: Taking pain medication, but overall, symptoms were improving.
3 Months Post-Treatment: Symptoms no longer appear even after walking about 10,000 steps. A chronic ache remains in the lower back.
It is believed that the injection of DiscoGel immediately after treatment increased the volume of the intervertebral disc, which temporarily exacerbated the symptoms.
With the passage of time, the protruding disc was decompressed and retracted, which led to the alleviation of 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 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
