Chronic low back pain is a developing problem that affects millions of people in all aspects of life in the United States. Recent studies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show that as many as 25% of American respondents had experienced low back pain in the previous three months. Back pain is the most prevalent type of pain, affecting up to two out of every five persons in the United States, according to statistics.
Back pain, no matter how prevalent, is not a “normal” component of life or the aging process, and it should never be disregarded. Even famous people and athletes suffer from chronic back pain and fight for years, if not decades, to find relief.
We can assist you if you’ve tried and failed to find treatment for back discomfort. Specialty Care Clinics‘ pain management specialists provide a variety of personalized pain treatment alternatives.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF INTRACEPT?
Intracept is a pain treatment that uses radiofrequency ablation to target the basivertebral nerve and reduce vertebrogenic low back pain. Damage to the vertebral endplates causes vertebrogenic discomfort (the top and bottom portion of each vertebra). The vertebral endplates, like the spinal discs, can deteriorate over time.
Because the basivertebral nerve has a direct impact on the vertebral endplates, the Intracept treatment targets this nerve to control the impulses it sends to damaged vertebral endplates in order to relieve pain.
Intracept is a non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure that is performed as an outpatient. Via a small incision, a small probe is inserted into the nerve area to transmit RF (radio frequency) waves to ablate the basivertebral nerve.
THE ADVANTAGES OF USING INTRACEPT TO CURE CHRONIC BACK PAIN
If damaged vertebral endplates are the source of your chronic low back pain, other more conservative treatments may have lost effectiveness over time or failed to provide significant relief. Intracept may provide relief for this sort of back discomfort. Because Intracept is a minimally invasive and non-surgical therapy, your risk of experiencing the types of side effects associated with back surgery and more invasive procedures is substantially lower.
Furthermore, because the Intracept system is not an implanted device, it can be used in conjunction with other pain management methods. If you’ve been suffering from chronic low back pain, chances are your health and quality of life have suffered in some way, from physical and social activities to time away from work. Your recovery and healing time will be substantially quicker with an outpatient procedure than with surgery or more invasive procedures.
HOW LONG DOES THE INTRACEPT PROCESS TAKE?
The length of the procedure depends on the number of vertebrae to be treated and the individual patient. The average duration of the Intracept® operations was approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
RISKS AND INDICATIONS
The Intracept Intraosseous Nerve Ablation System is designed to be used in conjunction with radiofrequency (RF) generators for the ablation of basivertebral nerves of the L3 through S1 vertebrae for the relief of chronic low back pain that has lasted at least six months and has not responded to at least six months of conservative care and is also accompanied by features consistent with Type 1 or Type 2 Modic changes on an MRI such as inflammation, edoema, vertebra (Type 2 Modic change).
Contact us today to make an appointment for more information about Intracept and other back pain treatment solutions available at Specialty Care Clinics.