Column Treatment Progress Report No. 44: A Patient Whose Buttock and Lower Limb Pain Disappeared
June 19, 2023
The patient
A male patient in his 30s
Treated in September 2022. Approximately 9 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
Disc degeneration was observed at the L4/5 level (indicated by the red frame).
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
Approximately 1 year prior: The patient developed low back pain and visited a local orthopedic clinic, where he was diagnosed with discogenic back pain (intervertebral disc disorder). Medication and rehabilitation were prescribed, but symptoms did not improve.
He subsequently visited our clinic for a definitive treatment solution.
Treatment
The Cellgel Method was performed at the L4/5 intervertebral disc level.
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 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| 1 week after treatment | 7 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| 1 month after treatment | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 months after treatment | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 week after treatment: No noticeable change in symptoms.
1 month after treatment: Low back pain occurred when maintaining the same posture for a prolonged period.
3 months after treatment: Pain was severe when standing or sitting for long periods, but became less noticeable during movement.
6 months after treatment: Pain during daily activities had largely resolved; however, pain occurred when lifting heavy objects.
In this case, the symptoms in the buttocks and lower limbs improved first.
This is believed to be the result of the improvement of foraminal stenosis (narrowing of the nerve exits) through the repair of the disc via the Cellgel Method.
While lower back pain still occurs during specific activities like lifting heavy loads, we expect these symptoms to continue to improve as more time passes and the disc stabilizes further.
* 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
