Most patients can resume normal activities after a brief recovery period, though we may recommend avoiding specific movements or strenuous activity such as weightlifting for a few days. While the Intracept procedure provides effective, long-lasting results, there are some potential disadvantages to this treatment. Radiofrequency denervation for chronic low back pain. If youve tried several nonsurgical treatments without much success at reducing your pain, the Intracept Procedure may be the right treatment for you. Your doctor will ask if you feel a tingling sensation (or discomfort or a muscle twitch). G. Sunny Sharma, M.D., Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Ankit Patel, M.D., Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who practice interventional spine and musculoskeletal medicine, began performing the procedure earlier this year. RFA is considered for long-time pain conditions involving your spine after other methods, such as pain medication and physical therapy have not been successful. Physicians often use this procedure to treat chronic pain, especially in the low back, neck, and joints. They offer so many different areas of assistance to those with issues from nutrition to spinal surgeryand much more. Rest when you get home. Intracept is a minimally-invasive, outpatient procedure for patients with vertebrogenic pain. Just like other parts of the body, the vertebral endplates are vulnerable to deterioration and nerve damage. Most patients can go home on the same day of operation. One-Time Treatment: This is a one-time treatment that provides long-term results; therefore, there is no need for this procedure to be repeated. Rather than modifying your life around your pain symptoms, the Intracept procedure spine treatment provides safe, effective, and long-lasting results that can significantly improve your quality of life. The heat causes a lesion that prevents the nerve from sending pain signals to your brain. When a patient has RFA, the surgeon will use a special electric-powered tool, and this tool burns the nerve fibers causing the pain. The Intracept Intraosseous Nerve Ablation System (Intracept System) is comprised of two sterile, single -use components: The Intracept Access Instruments include introducers, cannulas and stylets that provide access to the intended site of radiofrequency (RF) ablation. Principles of Rehabilitation Medicine. physical therapy, oral medications, injections, etc. Facet joints are pairs of small joints between the vertebrae in your spine. ), Visible changes in the vertebral endplates of the spine via MRI results, Doctor consulting with patient Back problems Physical therapy concept. endstream endobj 192 0 obj <. Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure done to relief chronic pain in a patient's back, neck or joints. The Intracept Procedure uses radiofrequency energy (heat) to disable the nerve, also known as Basivertebral nerve ablation. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. In a few steps, see if you may benefit from the procedure, and connect with an Intracept-trained physician near you. Back and Spine, The probe uses radiofrequency. Following a small incision, instruments and Xray guidance is used to reach the basivertebral nerve. Using a minimally-invasive, transpedicular approach, the procedure aims to relieve pain associated with chronic low back pain by denervating the nociceptive (pain-sensing) nerves within the vertebral body via radiofrequency ablation. So that's been a big change in our algorithm. McGraw Hill; 2019. The full-time faculty of more than 2,900 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. 510(k) process in 2005. The procedure is implant-free, preserving future treatment options for other spine conditions. New Patient Appointment Now a new low-back-disc RFA device has just received FDA approval, and thats a problem as my patients will now be getting the same destructive procedure believing that this is helping their disc, when in fact the opposite is likely occurring. One of those people is television host Carson Daly, who recently detailed his decades-long struggle with lower back pain in a story on the Today show. The block consists of an injection of a local anesthetic near the area of pain. Talk with your provider to see if RFA is right for you. Many surgeries for back pain involve implants, such as screws or plates, but because Intracept uses radiofrequency ablation, no devices are left in the body. Study design/setting: A prospective, parallel, open label RCT was conducted at 20 U.S. sites. Your provider will examine you and order X-rays or other imaging tests that are typically ordered to see your anatomy, determine the level of arthritis or other spine injury and rule out any other causes. Because vertebrogenic pain can be difficult to diagnose, an MRI scan is essential to make a proper diagnosis. Pain in your neck, back and knee. However, as with any injection procedure, there is always a chance of developing side effects or other complications. Skip to Site Navigation As such an ER (Endoscopic Rhizotomy) procedure is performed if the RFA (Radiofrequency Ablation) procedure fails to provide long-term relief. Of all of the procedures that I perform, it has delivered the most dramatic results for my patients., Southwest Spine and Pain Center,St George, UT, This is an exciting new treatment option for a type chronic low back pain that we haven't had a solution. Intraosseous radiofrequency ablation of the basivertebral nerve (e.g., Intracept)" As of 1/2019, the Intracept Manufacturer says to use the unlisted code, here. The Intracept procedure specifically treats vertebrogenic pain, which is pain caused by damage to the vertebral endplates from everyday wear and tear. While anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, or cortisone injections can help some patients, conservative treatments are not always effective for vertebrogenic low-back pain. The Intracept Procedure is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure for patients with vertebrogenic pain. Copyright Regenexx 2023. The surgeon will make a small incision in the patients back. Radiofrequency Ablation for Back Pain Reviews: Is It a Good Idea? You will lie face down for the procedure. Intracept procedure is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure used to treat vertebrogenic pain. These contraindications include being pregnant, having weakened cardiac or pulmonary function, having an implanted electronic medical device in the body (such as a pacemaker or defibrillator), being diagnosed with a systemic or local infection, or having an anatomy that could be damaged unintentionally while ablating the basivertebral nerve (based on your physicians clinical review). At Pain and Spine Specialists we are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to our patients.We provide tailored services with each individuals comfort in mind. He inserts a radiofrequency (RF) probe in the cannula and directs focused RF waves to the nerve. The instruments will then be removed, and a small bandage will be applied over the entry points. In an MRI, your doctor will visibly be able to see the degeneration of the vertebral endplates in the spine that is causing you pain and discomfort. 0 As a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, Intracept targets and deadens the nerves responsible for vertebrogenic low-back pain with radiofrequency heat without a lengthy recovery or spinal implants. Fortunately, we now have this new, highly effective procedure to offer our patients. The risk of complications from RFA is very low. Good question: Rhizotomy is a different term used when nerve interuption was done surgically with a knife by a neurosurgeon rf ablaton rhizotomy differs only in the energy used to accomplish the same task interuption of afferent innervation. Applying an ice pack at the site, 20 minutes off and on, may help relieve the pain. From there, radiofrequency energy will be delivered and will burn and kill the nerve. This procedure is specifically for patients with vertebrogenic low back pain which is diagnosed by a physician with clinical history, exam, and MRI. Dr. Rao has treated multiple patients with rare illnesses, and shows more empathy than any Dr. Ive met. Yes, the requested health service or procedure is likely to be more beneficial than any standard treatment or treatments for the insured's condition or disease. Texas Spine and Scoliosis is one . This lesion blocks or interrupts pain signals being sent from the targeted nerve. The Intracept procedure is also known as the "Intracept Radiofrequency Ablation" or "Intracept RFA" procedure. According to Relievant Medsystems Inc., the cannula is inserted via minimally invasive procedure under fluoroscopic guidance through the pedicle using a transpedicular approach. Before this treatment was available, it was a challenge to provide a solid treatment option for my patients who suffered from chronic back pain from degenerative endplates, said Dr. Patel. RFA can provide you relief for up to a year whereas endoscopic rhizotomy effects can last anywhere between 3 to 5 years. I was helping my mom find a place for her arthritis pain, and I explained to them how bad it was. It's probably your vertebrogenic endplate changes that are causing your back pain.' Chronic pain caused by conditions including arthritis of the spine (. If you have a favorable response to the diagnostic block, your provider may recommend RFA as a treatment to ease your pain. NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. Your provider will give you their best projection based on the specific cause, location and severity of your pain. Given that almost all of our chronic spine patients who were getting RFA have now been switched to platelet or stem-cell-based treatments, its a question Ill never be able to definitively answer. A radiofrequency current is sent through the needle to heat the identified portion of the nerve. July 2016. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-treatment-for-low-back-pain-minimally-invasive-procedure-receives-fda-clearance-300304795.html, If you have questions or comments about this blog post, please email us at [emailprotected]. Research has shown that pain relief can begin within weeks and is durable. You may feel some temporary numbness where the needle entered your skin. The treated nerve can regrow. This means the right location has been found for treatment. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), also called radiofrequency neurotomy, uses radio waves to create a current that heats a small area of nerve tissue. The Intracept Radiofrequency Probe is inserted into the curved path and placed at the basivertebral nerve 4. We know from other areas of medicine that when you take away a nerve supply to a joint, bad things happen. (Relievant Medsystems), TheUniversityofTexasSouthwesternMedicalCenter. . We believe that all patients should have access to quality care, and that is why you can find us conveniently located throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Short Recovery Time: This is an outpatient procedure where most patients experience a full recovery within 1 to 2 weeks post-procedure. The intracept procedure is a new minimally invasive surgical procedure that is clinically proven to drastically decrease chronic low back pain up to 24 months. 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