Chronic lower back pain has serious effects on quality of life. An estimated 28% of U.S. adults struggle with the ailment, meaning millions of Americans wake up every day in pain. 1But an emerging procedure is offering hope that relief is possible.

“The Intracept Procedure is a fairly new treatment with great results,” says Michal Glinianski, MD, interventional pain specialist at WellSpan Health. Intracept is a minimally invasive outpatient treatment for chronic low back pain that uses radiofrequency energy to disrupt pain signals sent to the brain. “By interrupting the signal, the Intracept Procedure makes it so the body is no longer able to feel that lower back pain.”

The Intracept Procedure is an implant-free treatment that preserves the overall structure of the spine. It is done as an outpatient procedure, which means patients go home the same day. Patients are under anesthesia and the procedure generally lasts one hour. It is approved by the Food & Drug Administration and is proven in multiple studies to be safe, effective and durable. 2,3

Clinical evidence demonstrates the majority of patients experience significant improvements in function and pain three months post-procedure that are sustained more than five years after a single treatment. 2

“Multiple trials have shown the procedure to be associated with a significant decrease in pain and improved physical functionality,” says Dr. Glinianski.

The Intracept Procedure only recently emerged due to a new understanding of what causes chronic lower back pain.
“Previously, the disc itself was considered to be the primary contributor to lower back pain,” Dr. Glinianski explains. “Now, it has been uncovered that it’s the endplates — the bones that neighbor the discs. These become inflamed and are associated with lower back pain.”

One of the procedure’s characteristics that makes it so attractive is its broad application. Patients with chronic low back pain that is aggravated by physical activity, prolonged sitting, and bending over or lifting are potential candidates for the Intracept Procedure. Unlike some treatments that work for only a fraction of the population suffering from low back pain, the ideal candidate for Intracept is someone who:

• has had chronic low back pain for at least six months
• has tried and not responded to conservative treatments, like physical therapy or medications
• has had (or will have) an MRI for a doctor to review

 

At WellSpan, if you are identified as a candidate for Intracept, the procedure is performed in an outpatient clinic. Dr. Glinianski prepares a small, pencil eraser-sized incision through which a special transducer is inserted that delivers radiofrequency to the vertebral nerve, silencing the pain signal.

After the procedure, patients return home the same day and typically experience a quick recovery. Two weeks after the procedure, patients return for one follow-up appointment to ensure proper healing and to get answers to any remaining questions they may have.

At these follow-up appointments, Dr. Glinianski often hears positive reports. Witnessing his patients rediscover relief from chronic lower back pain is one of the best parts of his job. Says Dr. Glinianski, “It’s very rewarding to see patients get back to their normal lives and decrease their pain.”

“It’s important for WellSpan Health to keep up with the latest medical research and innovations and to be able to offer our patients the most cutting-edge treatments,” Dr. Glinianski emphasizes.

According to Dr. Glinianski, the Intracept Procedure offers patients hope and a second chance to get back to where they were before chronic low back pain set in. “We see patients return to playing golf, gardening and playing with their grandkids. They smile and wonder why they didn’t have the procedure sooner.”

Contact WellSpan Interventional Pain or visit WellSpan.org/Intracept to find out if you’re a candidate for the Intracept Procedure.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.