Intracept® Procedure
Intracept® Procedure at Oakland Pain Consultants
Dr. Michael Drelles at Oakland Pain Consultants is now offering this advanced procedure for the treatment of vertebrogenic pain, a distinct type of chronic low back pain caused by damage to vertebral endplates, the tissue that covers the top and the bottom of each vertebral body and separates it from the disc.
Disc degeneration, and the wear and tear that occurs with everyday living, produces stresses on the endplates that damage them, leading to inflammation and vertebrogenic pain. The basivertebral nerve (BVN) within the vertebrae carries pain signals from the inflamed endplates to the brain.
What Is Vertebrogenic Pain?
Your vertebral endplates are tissue structures that act as a barrier between two adjacent vertebrae, or between a vertebral body and the disc. When these endplates become damaged, the basivertebral nerve (BVN) gets triggered, sending signals to your brain and causing vertebrogenic pain.
The endplates might become damaged because of an acute injury, wear and tear associated with aging, heavy physical work over the course of the years, obesity, genetics, and other factors.
If you’re suffering from low back pain, it’s important to properly identify the cause, as it will make clear for your healthcare provider how they can help you. In order to do this, they will:
- Inquire about your family history, as this type of pain can be genetic
- Perform a physical exam to locate the specific pain zones
- Imaging tests like MRIs to assess the soft tissue of your endplates
- Order additional tests to rule out other possibilities
What Is the Intracept® Procedure?
The Intracept® procedure, also known as basivertebral nerve ablation, is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure for treating vertebrogenic pain.
How Is It Done?
The probe will produce heat to “damage” the nerve and stop it from sending pain signals to your brain. After that, the instruments will be removed and your specialist will close the incision.
What Are Its Benefits?
The Intracept® procedure increases every year in popularity not only because of its effectiveness for treating chronic low back pain, but also because of its added benefits, like:
- Fewer risks of complications
- Shorter recovery times
- Minimally invasive procedure
- Targeted pain relief
- Long-lasting results, as it directly tackles the source of the pain
Who Should Consider Intracept?
Oakland Pain Consultants identifies candidates for the Intracept® procedure who have had:
- Chronic low back pain for at least six months
- Who have tried conservative care for at least six months
- Whose MRI shows features consistent with Modic changes – indicating damage at the vertebral endplates has led to inflammation
What Can I Expect When I Have Intracept?
Performed under local anesthesia, the Intracept procedure typically involves the following steps:
- Patient Positioning: You lie face down, and the treatment area is sterilized and numbed using local anesthetics.
- Guided Access: Using fluoroscopy (a type of X-ray), a small needle is precisely inserted into the vertebral body where the basivertebral nerve resides.
- Nerve Ablation: Radiofrequency energy is delivered through the needle, damaging the nerve and disrupting its ability to transmit pain signals.
- Post-Procedure: Patients are monitored for a short period before being allowed to go home. The recovery time is typically minimal, with most individuals returning to their normal daily activities within a week.
You should expect to see pain relief within about six weeks after the procedure.