What Is Spoon Theory?
The spoon theory explains the impact of living with chronic illness, chronic pain, and disability on a daily basis. It highlights the differences between living with illness compared to living without illness.
When you have low back pain that doesn’t go away, you might do just about anything to get relief. Chronic pain erodes your ability to work and enjoy your hobbies, and it can have a significant impact on your quality of life.
Conservative care like physical therapy and medication can make a difference. But if you’ve tried all the traditional options without success, you could be left with just one option: back surgery.
The good news? With the Intracept® Procedure, you might not have to undergo invasive spine surgery and endure the long recovery period that comes with it to get lasting relief from your chronic back pain.
The Intracept Procedure is a minimally invasive, FDA-approved treatment that stops your chronic low back pain at the source: your nerves. Eric Fanaee, MD, and our surgical team are proud to bring the latest in minimally invasive pain management to our patients. You don’t have to live with chronic back pain — the Intracept Procedure could help you get relief.
The Intracept Procedure targets low back pain at its source, in the basivertebral nerve. This nerve resides in your spinal column, and it’s the main pathway that pain signals take from your lumbar spine to your brain.
During the Intracept Procedure, Dr. Fanaee makes a very small incision along your spine, near the source of your pain. He inserts a cannula — a hollow instrument like a metal straw — through your vertebral bones to create a channel to your basivertebral nerve.
He then uses radiofrequency ablation to treat your basivertebral nerve. Focused heat from radiofrequency waves alter parts of the nerve, effectively quieting the pain signals that originate there.
The Intracept Procedure is a groundbreaking solution for chronic low back pain because it can deliver long-lasting pain relief even for people who haven’t found relief with other treatment options.
Other treatments like pain medication and steroid injections only last a short time, and they mask pain rather than treating the cause. The Intracept Procedure is different. Because the Intracept Procedure stops pain where it starts, it can bring you more significant results that last longer than other treatment methods.
As a pain management specialist, Dr. Fanaee takes a conservative approach to care. He understands that your pain and your needs are unique, and he strives to develop personalized pain management plans for all patients.
If you have low back pain, your first step to finding relief is a comprehensive evaluation. Dr. Fanaee reviews your medical history, conducts a physical exam, and identifies the location and possible causes of your pain.
Many people find that nonsurgical care is enough to improve their low back pain. Popular treatments include physical therapy, pain medication, steroid injections, and regenerative medicine. But if you’ve tried conservative care and you still have significant pain after about six months, the Intracept Procedure could be a good option for you.
The Intracept Procedure is FDA-approved for chronic low back pain in a number of specific cases. Dr. Fanaee may recommend this treatment if:
Dr. Fanaee specializes in minimally invasive interventions, and he can help you decide if the Intracept Procedure is a good option for you. Schedule your consultation online, or call our new visit request line at 631-265-2020 to get started.
