Housecall

What would a life without the limitations of debilitating back pain mean to you? For starters, it might mean having the freedom to enjoy many of your favorite activities once again.

That's not just wishful thinking if you're living with a common type of low-back pain called vertebrogenic back pain. A minimally invasive option for treating this type of pain is available close to home at Columbus Community Hospital.

Targeting the problem without surgery

Vertebrogenic back pain stems from damaged vertebral endplates, which are layers between the disks and bones in your spine (vertebral bodies). About one in six people with chronic low-back problems have this type of pain. It's commonly felt in the middle of the lower back and worsens when you're bending, sitting, lifting or engaging in prolonged physical activity.
Doctors can confirm that you have this type of back pain by looking for specific changes with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. For years, experts primarily looked at the disks that cushion the spine as the source of pain. But they now know that a significant portion of back pain comes from a nerve called the basivertebral nerve within the vertebral bodies.

That's where the Intracept procedure comes in. It uses radio-frequency (RF) energy to ablate (heat and shut off) this nerve, preventing it from sending pain signals to the brain. According to researchers, Intracept appears to offer long-term relief. In studies, patients had improved pain and function more than five years later. And it achieves these results in a single procedure, without more invasive treatments such as spinal fusion surgery, which joins together one or more vertebrae with screws and other hardware.

"So, now, rather than forever changing the architecture of that spine with a fusion, we can just do a 30-minute procedure that essentially makes that nerve pain not a problem for people permanently," said John Massey, MD, from MD Pain in Lincoln.

Massey, who performs the Intracept procedure at CCH, is designated as an Intracept Center of Excellence physician because of his experience and outcomes performing the procedure.

So, how do you know if you're a good candidate for the procedure? It might work for you if you have had back pain for at least six months that limits your function and hasn't responded to other treatments, such as physical therapy or pain injections.

"The goal is to reduce your pain and, more importantly, improve your function," Massey said.

For many people, that could mean returning to cherished activities, such as gardening, golfing, playing with grandkids or taking long road trips. The procedure has been well-researched, and studies show it's highly effective. In one randomized controlled trial, for example, 75% of patients experienced at least 50% pain relief, and many were pain-free.

What you can expect

You'll be sedated during the procedure, so you won't feel or remember anything. A doctor inserts a needle through a small incision to deliver the RF energy to the problem nerve in your spine. You'll go home about an hour after the procedure without a lot of limitations on activities. You may have a sore spot on your back for a couple of weeks. Pain relief from the procedure usually begins to take effect after about three weeks.

Categories: Back pain