Intracept Procedure

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, chronic low back pain (CLBP) is “the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work days.” Low back pain affects as many as 80% of adults at some point in their lives, and, thankfully, most of them get better without surgery—and many without any medical intervention.

But for those who have been through several conservative treatments without significant relief, Intracept®, a new minimally invasive procedure now being performed at DISC Spine Institute, may be the answer. This outpatient procedure has been clinically proven to be safe and effective, and to provide immediate and long-term relief for chronic lower back pain.

Dr. Mark C. Valente, Board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon and Founder and Medical Director of DISC Spine Institute, is one of the first surgeons in the country performing Intracept. This new, FDA-approved, non-fusion, outpatient procedure for chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the product of decades of research centered around the basivertebral nerve.

The Intracept procedure targets this nerve, which studies show is the origin of pain for many people who suffer from chronic axial low back pain due to microfractures of the vertebral body endplates. The procedure is minimally invasive and can take as little as 15 minutes. The steps of the procedure include:

• The surgeon makes a 3–5 millimeter incision to access the vertebrae.
• The surgeon uses a curved instrument to create a channel in order to reach the trunk of the basivertebral nerve.
• A radiofrequency probe is then inserted into that curved path and placed at the trunk of the basivertebral nerve.
• Radiofrequency energy, or heat, is used to ablate the basivertebral nerve. That stops the nerve from being able to transmit pain signals.