Intracept

Pain Care Providers

Pain Management Physicians located in Irvine, CA

Chronic low back pain doesn't always come from a disc, sometimes it comes from inside the bone itself. The Intracept procedure is a minimally invasive treatment designed to relieve pain at its actual source a nerve inside the vertebra called the basivertebral nerve.

949-872-2400

UNDERSTANDING THE SOURCE

What is vertebrogenic pain?

Every vertebra in your spine has a top and bottom "endplate" a layer of bone and cartilage where the spinal disc attaches. These endplates absorb enormous stress every time you sit, bend, lift, or twist.

Over time, they can crack, inflame, or degenerate. On an MRI, this shows up as what's called a Modic change. When the endplate is damaged, a nerve that runs through the center of the vertebra - the basivertebral nerve carries those pain signals straight to your brain. Pain coming from this source is called vertebrogenic pain, and it behaves differently from pain caused by a disc or a joint.

Does this sound like your pain?

A deep, aching or burning sensation centered in the middle of your low back
Worse with sitting for long periods, standing up, or bending forward
Aggravated by lifting or repetitive bending and lifting motions
Present for six months or longer despite physical therapy or medication

This checklist is a starting point for conversation, not a diagnosis. Confirming vertebrogenic pain requires an MRI and evaluation by a physician.

THE PROCEDURE

How the Intracept procedure works

Intracept doesn't mask pain or fuse the spine - it disables the nerve that's transmitting the pain signal, using heat delivered through a probe smaller than a pencil.

01 Access
Through a small incision, your physician guides a narrow introducer into the vertebra using real-time X-ray (fluoroscopic) imaging. No cutting of muscle or major tissue is required.
02 Advance
The instrument is carefully advanced through the pedicle a bony bridge at the back of the vertebra - creating a path toward the center of the vertebral body.
03 Position
A radiofrequency probe is threaded through that path to the precise location where the basivertebral nerve runs, confirmed under imaging before any energy is delivered.
04 Ablate
The probe delivers controlled radiofrequency heat that disables the nerve's ability to carry pain signals. The basivertebral nerve does not regenerate, which is why relief tends to be durable rather than temporary.

L4 SAGITTAL VIEW | L4 CORONAL VIEW

ANTERIOR | POSTERIOR | SUPERIOR | INFERIOR

PROBE TIP AND ABLATION ZONE (AMBER) POSITIONED AT THE JUNCTION OF THE POSTERIOR AND MIDDLE THIRDS OF THE VERTEBRAL BODY

The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, typically takes about an hour, and is done under general anesthesia or IV sedation, depending on what you and your physician decide is right for you.

IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Who is typically a candidate

Intracept is intended for a specific type of back pain - it isn't the right treatment for every source of back pain. Your physician will confirm candidacy through your history, exam, and imaging.

GENERALLY CONSIDERED

Chronic, treatment-resistant pain

Low back pain lasting six months or more that hasn't sufficiently improved with physical therapy, medication, or other conservative care.

GENERALLY CONSIDERED

MRI-confirmed Modic changes

Imaging showing Type 1 or Type 2 Modic changes at the vertebral endplates - the imaging signature of vertebrogenic pain.

GENERALLY CONSIDERED

Activity-related pattern

Pain centered in the low back that's clearly worsened by sitting, standing, or bending - rather than pain that radiates down the leg.

USUALLY EXCLUDED

Pregnancy or active infection

The procedure uses X-ray guidance and involves accessing bone, so it isn't performed during pregnancy or in the presence of infection.

USUALLY EXCLUDED

Bleeding disorders

Patients with uncontrolled bleeding conditions, or who can't safely pause certain blood-thinning medications, may not be candidates.

NEEDS EVALUATION

Pain from other sources

If pain is primarily from a disc, facet joint, or nerve root compression, a different procedure may be more appropriate - sometimes alongside Intracept.

BEFORE, DURING, AFTER

What to expect

Every patient's path looks a little different, but most follow a similar timeline from evaluation to recovery.

BEFORE
Consultation & imaging review

Your physician reviews your history, prior treatments, and MRI to confirm the pain is vertebrogenic and discuss whether Intracept is appropriate.
DAY OF PROCEDURE
Outpatient, roughly one hour

You'll go home the same day. Most patients need someone to drive them, since sedation or anesthesia is used.
FIRST 1-2 WEEKS
Light activity

Many patients resume light daily activity within a few days. Your physician will give specific guidance on lifting and activity restrictions during initial healing.
WEEKS TO MONTHS
Pain relief develops gradually

Relief is often not immediate - it tends to build over the following weeks to months as inflammation from the procedure resolves.
LONG TERM
Durability

Clinical follow-up data has tracked meaningful pain and function improvement in treated patients for up to five years after the procedure.

WEIGHING YOUR OPTIONS

How Intracept compares to spine surgery

SPINE FUSION SURGERY

Requires larger incisions and removal or fusion of spinal structures
Often involves permanently implanted screws and rods
Longer hospital stay and recovery period
Alters spinal mechanics, which can affect adjacent segments

INTRACEPT PROCEDURE

Minimally invasive, outpatient, done in about an hour
No implanted hardware left behind
Shorter recovery, typically days rather than months
Doesn't close the door on future treatment, including surgery, if ever needed

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

Is the procedure painful?

You're under general anesthesia or IV sedation during the procedure itself, so you won't feel it happening. Afterward, it's normal to have some soreness at the incision site for a few days, similar to a minor bruise.

Will the basivertebral nerve grow back?

How is this different from a facet or SI joint injection?

Is Intracept covered by insurance?

Does this rule out surgery later if I still need it?