Pain serves an important function: It’s your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. When you get injured, pain signals travel from the wound site to your brain, letting you know that you need to stop what you’re doing.
But when pain becomes chronic, it’s no longer serving its purpose. Chronic pain is pain that lasts 12 weeks or longer, and lower back pain is the No. 1 type of chronic pain affecting American adults.
If you’re living with chronic lower back pain and you haven’t found relief with medication or conservative care, you don’t have to settle for back pain treatments that don’t work. Eric Fanaee, MD, offers a revolutionary minimally invasive surgery called the Intracept® Procedure to stop lower back pain at its source.
The groundbreaking Intracept Procedure is a unique treatment option for back pain that originates in the middle of your lumbar spine down to the top of your sacral spine. In medical terms, that’s the L3 through S1 vertebrae. It’s a highly targeted procedure, and you could be a candidate if:
Although up to 84% of American adults experience lower back pain during their lives, most cases are acute. Acute back pain may last from several days to weeks, but it typically resolves on its own.
Pain is generally considered chronic when it lasts longer than 12 weeks, or three months. It’s important to try conservative treatment for back pain that persists for several months, but if the pain doesn’t go away after six months or longer, you could be a candidate for the Intracept Procedure.
Conservative treatment for back pain can be very effective. There are many possible causes of chronic lower back pain, but Dr. Fanaee often recommends trying nonsurgical options before considering surgery. A few of the most popular conservative treatment options are:
Many people see improvements in their lower back pain with a combination of these treatment options, but if you’ve tried them and you’re still dealing with the pain, it might be time to consider the Intracept Procedure.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) produces precise images of your body, with more detail than traditional X-ray images, and Dr. Fanaee may order an MRI to get a closer look at your vertebrae and better-diagnose your condition.
You may be a candidate for the Intracept Procedure if your MRI results show specific changes in your lower vertebrae. Dr. Fanaee looks for signs that include inflammation, edema, changes in vertebral endplates, and changes to bone marrow in specific vertebrae. After reviewing your MRI results, he discusses his findings with you.
Dr. Fanaee uses these criteria to determine if you’re a good candidate for the Intracept Procedure. Every patient is different, and you can be confident that he takes your unique situation and your needs into account.
You don’t have to live with persistent lower back pain. Get personalized care and find out if you’re a candidate for the Intracept Procedure with a consultation. Contact Eric Fanaee, MD, online or call the office.
