Are Your Spinal Endplates the Hidden Cause of Your Back Pain?

Many people are told their chronic lower back pain is strictly due to a bad disc or muscle strain. However, for millions of adults, the true culprit is vertebrogenic pain—which comes from the vertebral endplates (the interfaces between your discs and the spinal bones).

As we age, everyday wear and tear can cause these endplates to become inflamed and damaged. When this happens, a specific nerve inside the bone—called the basivertebral nerve (BVN)—begins broadcasting chronic pain signals directly to your brain.

If standard treatments like physical therapy, injections, or chiropractic care haven't given you relief, the Intracept Procedure might be the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.

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What is the Intracept Procedure?

The Intracept Procedure is a clinically proven, minimally invasive, and implant-free outpatient treatment designed specifically to target and quiet the basivertebral nerve.

Instead of just masking your symptoms, Intracept stops the pain signals at their source, offering long-term relief without altering the structural integrity of your spine or requiring a lengthy surgical recovery.

How It Works: Stopping Pain Signals at the Source

The Intracept Procedure is performed right here in our clinic under local anesthesia with sedation, typically taking less than an hour.

• Step 1: Accessing the Spine – Using real-time X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy), your specialist places a small, specialized guide path into the vertebrae.
• Step 2: Positioning the Probe – A radiofrequency probe is gently inserted through the path and positioned precisely at the trunk of the basivertebral nerve.
• Step 3: Relieving the Pain – The probe delivers controlled radiofrequency energy (heat) to ablate (short-circuit) the nerve. This permanently stops its ability to transmit chronic pain signals to your brain.

Once complete, the probe is removed. Because it is a minimally invasive procedure, no spinal implants or hardware are left behind, and you get to go home the very same day.

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Why Choose the Intracept Procedure?

Intracept bridges the gap between temporary conservative treatments and major spinal surgeries like spinal fusion.

• Proven, Long-Term Relief: Clinical studies show patients continue to experience significant pain relief and improved mobility years after a single treatment.
• Implant-Free & Structure-Preserving: The procedure does not require any permanent hardware and preserves the natural structure and movement of your spine.
• Minimally Invasive: Performed through tiny incisions, meaning minimal tissue damage and a much faster recovery compared to traditional back surgery.
• Outpatient Convenience: Done in-office, allowing you to return home the same day with minimal downtime.

Are You a Candidate for Intracept?

You may be an ideal candidate for the Intracept Procedure if you meet the following criteria:

• You have suffered from chronic lower back pain for at least six months.
• Your pain has not responded to conservative therapies (like physical therapy or medications).
• An MRI shows Modic changes—specific signs of inflammation and damage at the vertebral endplates.

Is Intracept Right For You? Our team will carefully review your recent MRI scans to look for Modic changes and determine if your pain is vertebrogenic in nature.