Intracept® Procedure
Vertebrogenic pain is 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), found within the vertebrae, carries pain signals from the inflamed endplates to the brain.
The Intracept® procedure is an outpatient therapy specifically designed to relieve chronic vertebrogenic pain of the low back.
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What is Vertebrogenic Pain?
Spinal injury and degeneration are the primary causes of chronic back pain, with the lower back usually being the most commonly affected area. There are many different potential causes of low back pain, including a condition called vertebrogenic pain.
Vertebrogenic pain is a specific kind of low back pain caused by damage or aggravation to the vertebral endplate, which is the layer of tissue between the vertebrae bones and the adjacent spinal discs. When the endplates are damaged, pain signals are sent to the brain from the basivertebral nerve, a nerve located on the inside of each vertebrae. The result is what we refer to as vertebrogenic pain.
The spinal disc and vertebral endplate are both part of the anterior spinal column and as such, produce similar low back pain symptoms. However, pain caused by endplate damage is associated with distinctive changes on routine MRI called Modic changes.
Patients often describe endplate pain as pain that is located in the middle of their low back and is made worse by physical activity, prolonged sitting, bending forward, or with bending and lifting.
The Intracept® Procedure
The basivertebral nerve (BVN) enters the bone at the back of the vertebrae and “branches” to the endplates. When endplates are damaged, these nerve endings generate pain signals that are sent to the brain through the BVN.
The Intracept® procedure is a minimally invasive procedure designed to relieve vertebrogenic low back pain originating in the basivertebral nerve (BVN). A specialized probe is inserted into the vertebrae through a tool called an introducer. The probe uses radiofrequency energy to heat the BVN, rendering it unable to transmit pain signals to the brain.
What can I expect during an Intracept procedure?
You will receive sedation through an IV prior to the procedure. A nurse will bring you into the procedure room and lay you on your stomach on a special table. Our staff will clean your skin at the incision site and apply a local anesthetic to numb your skin.
After a small incision is made in the lower back, the physician will use a fluoroscope (a special kind of x-ray machine) to help guide the introducer to the appropriate site for the procedure.
A tube-like instrument is advanced through the introducer, creating a channel. The probe is then passed through the channel and placed next to the basivertebral nerve. A specialized machine generates radio waves to create heat, which is sent through the probe and applied directly to the nerve. The heat disrupts the pain signals coming from the BVN, which results in pain relief.
The introducer and probe are then carefully removed. The incision is then cleaned, stitched, and covered with a sterile bandage.
What can I expect after an Intracept procedure?
You will be moved into the recovery area and monitored by a nurse for up to 60 minutes while the sedation wears off. You will need a driver to take you home upon discharge.
We suggest you take it easy for the remainder of the day. You may then resume normal activities the next day. You may experience tenderness or aggravated symptoms at the incision site for several days after the injection. Apply ice packs to help with this pain.
You will be instructed to avoid certain movements and strenuous activity for a period of time following the procedure. Your physician will discuss the best course of action with you prior to discharge.
Intracept® Success Story
Intracept® Procedure can be utilized as a treatment for:
Schedule a consultation with Twin Cities Pain Clinic today to see if Intracept can help with your pain.
RELIEVE YOUR PAIN, RENEW YOUR LIFE!
