Is the Intracept Procedure Right for Your Chronic Low Back Pain?
If you have had low back pain for months or years and nothing has given lasting relief, you may have come across the Intracept procedure, also called basivertebral nerve ablation. It treats a specific cause of chronic low back pain that is often missed. Here is what it does, who it is for, and how to find out if it could help you.
The Kind of Pain It Treats
Not all low back pain comes from discs or joints. Some of it comes from the vertebrae themselves, specifically the bone at the edges of the discs, called the endplates. When those endplates get worn or inflamed, they send pain signals through a nerve inside the bone called the basivertebral nerve. Intracept treats that nerve. This kind of pain is usually a deep, aching pain in the middle of the low back that is worse with bending forward, sitting for a long time, or activity.
How It Is Different From Other Procedures
The biggest difference is how long it lasts. With facet joint ablation, the treated nerves grow back over time, so the procedure is repeated. The basivertebral nerve does not grow back the same way, so Intracept is meant to be a one-time treatment with lasting relief. It is minimally invasive, done as an outpatient, and you go home the same day.
Who Is a Good Candidate
Intracept tends to be a fit for people who have had low back pain for at least six months, have tried other treatments without lasting relief, and have specific changes at the endplates that show up on an MRI. That MRI finding is the key. It is how we confirm the pain is actually coming from the vertebrae and not from somewhere else.
Who It Is Not For
Intracept is not the right tool for every back problem. It does not treat pain that is mainly coming from a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, the SI joint, or the facet joints. Those problems have their own effective treatments. The first step is always a careful evaluation to find out where your pain is really coming from.
How to Find Out If You Are a Candidate
Figuring out whether Intracept can help starts with reviewing your history and your MRI. If you have chronic low back pain that has not responded to other care, it is worth asking whether the pain could be coming from the vertebrae, and whether your imaging shows the changes that make Intracept a good option.
Chronic Low Back Pain Treatment in Castle Rock
Dr. Carrera is double board-certified in interventional pain medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. The practice treats chronic low back pain and other spine, joint, and nerve conditions with non-opioid, procedure-based care for patients from Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Lone Tree, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Denver, Monument, and Colorado Springs, and surrounding communities.
Wondering if Intracept could help your low back pain? Call 720-455-3775 to find out if you are a candidate.
