Column Treatment Progress Report No.7: A Patient Whose Pain and Numbness Almost Completely Disappeared 3 Months After Treatment
March 13, 2023
The patient
A male patient in his 70s
Treated in September. Approximately 5 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
Intervertebral disc degeneration at the levels marked in red
(L2/3 and L3/4)
Lumbar spinal canal stenosis at the levels marked in yellow
(L4/5 and L5/S1)
The patient had suffered from chronic low back pain for many years, which worsened around September 2022, with increasing pain in the left lower back and knee.
He received symptomatic treatments such as massage at an orthopedic clinic, but his symptoms did not improve.
After evaluation, the Celgel Method was performed at four intervertebral disc levels:
L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1.
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 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 1 week after treatment | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 month after treatment | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 Week Post-Treatment: Reported knee pain and numbness at the base of the leg.
1 Month Post-Treatment: Felt some heaviness remained in the lower back, but overall improvement was noticeable.
3 Months Post-Treatment: Significant improvement was reported. Although there are occasional moments of instability, he is now walking 12,000 to 15,000 steps every day.
By three months after treatment, both pain and numbness scores reached zero, allowing the patient to return to a pain-free daily life, which we find very encouraging.
While the patient occasionally experiences minor instability, he has been able to self-manage his condition effectively, which is reassuring.
* 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
