Find Low Back Pain Relief for Your Patients
Help your patients regain a pain-free life with Intracept®, a breakthrough procedure created to specifically address chronic back pain.
A physician’s look at our Intracept Procedure
See how the Intracept® Procedure, created by Relievant, is performed — and why it is so effective for many patients experiencing chronic back pain.
Performing the procedure
Step 1:
Access the Pedicle
Under fluoroscopic guidance, the Intracept® Introducer Cannula Assembly is advanced through the pedicle.
Step 2:
Create the Channel
The Intracept® Curved Cannula Assembly is used to create a channel to the trunk of the BVN.
Step 3:
Place the RP Probe
The Intracept® RF Probe is inserted into the curved path and placed at the trunk of the BVN.
Step 4:
Ablate the BVN
The Intracept® RF Generator is used to deliver radiofrequency energy that ablates the BVN.
Intracept Procedure FAQs
Explore our findings behind lumbar spine degeneration and how the Intracept Procedure can alleviate pain for eligible patients suffering from low back pain.
Candidates for Intracept must meet three criteria:
- Chronic low-back pain for at least six months.
- Conservative treatments such as physical therapy, medication, or injections have not sufficiently reduced pain.
- MRI results show Modic changes – indicating damage at the vertebral endplates has led to inflammation.
Upon referral, our program coordinator will reach out to your patient, request their lumbar MRI images, and review their history to determine if they meet BVN criteria. If eligible, they will be offered a consultation specifically for BVN purposes. If this procedure is not deemed beneficial, we will thoroughly evaluate their condition and present alternative treatment options.
The treatment for this condition is basivertebral nerve (BVN) ablation, involving conventional thermal neurolysis of the basivertebral nerve—a branch of the dorsal ramus of the DRG. This nerve provides sensory efferents from the upper and lower endplates of the lumbar disc/vertebrae interface.
BVN ablation of one nerve offers neurolysis and pain relief to the adjoining superior and inferior endplates. For instance, effectively treating pain from degenerative disc disease of L5/S1 requires ablation of the BVN of L5 and S1.
Our aim is to assist you in identifying patients with chronic low back pain who may be candidates for basivertebral nerve ablation. By offering this treatment consideration, we provide a solution with numerous advantages over less effective options.
The Intracept Procedure was created by Relievant and is an outpatient procedure designed for treating chronic vertebrogenic low back pain. As our understanding of degenerative disc disease advances, we have recognized the effectiveness of non-surgical treatment for chronic low back pain arising from lumbar spine degeneration.
MRI findings revealing disc disease with endplate edema are interpreted as Modic endplate changes in MRI studies. This change signifies a stress response within the vertebrae at the level of the degenerative disc. Recent studies indicate that this Modic endplate finding on the MRI is clinically significant in relation to chronic low back pain.
In studies, the Intracept procedure has clinically reduced symptoms of lumbar disc disease. This procedure, performed at temperatures within the vertebral body, allows permanent destruction of the BVN, ensuring long-term relief without the need for repeat treatments—a valuable option for patients.
Common pain conditions we treat
We specialize in addressing a variety of neck and back pain disorders, ranging from acute to chronic. Common conditions or symptoms we frequently encounter include:
- Acute or chronic disc herniations
- Acute or chronic axial neck and back pain
- Compression fractures of the spine and sacrum
- Vertebrogenic low back pain from degenerative disc disease
- Mechanical neck and back pain from degenerative facet disease
- Upper or lower extremity pain from radiculopathy
Additional pain relief procedures
Even if your patient isn’t eligible for our Intracept Procedure, we are specialists in helping alleviate or eliminate pain. Depending on your patient’s needs, we can provide the following procedures.
Basivertebral nerve ablation of the lumbar spine for chronic vertebrogenic pain secondary to degenerative disc disease.
Selective nerve root injections of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuromodulation procedures for the treatment of chronic radicular pain, CRPS, etc.
Spinal tumor ablation for palliative treatment of painful spinal metastases.
Image-guided injections of common orthopedic symptoms, including joint and bursa injections.
Conventional radiofrequency neurolysis (ablation) of the spine for chronic degenerative pain of the facet joints.
Diagnostic and therapeutic epidural steroid injections of the spine for discogenic pain, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, etc.
Spinal cord neuromodulation procedures for the treatment of post-laminectomy pain, non-surgical radiculopathy of the spine, post-herpetic neuralgia, arachnoiditis, etc.
Vertebral augmentation and Spine Jack procedures for the treatment of painful compression fractures of the spine and sacrum.
Treatment of chronic knee pain with genicular nerve conventional radiofrequency ablation and iovera cryoneurolysis.
Meet our interventional pain specialists
Dr. Joshua Horowitz, D.O.
Director of Interventional Pain Department,
CRMC–Crosby
Dr. Horowitz graduated from Kirksville College Osteopathic School of Medicine and completed his residency in anesthesiology at The John’s Hopkins Hospital. Following his residency, he pursued a fellowship in interventional pain at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Dan Lonergan, M.D.
Interventional Pain Specialists, CRMC–Crosby
Dr. Lonergan graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed his anesthesiology residency and interventional pain fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Erica Donovan, P.A.-C.
Clinical Specialist
Erica Donovan is a Certified Physician Assistant. She graduated from the University of North Dakota-Grand Forks where she earned a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree and certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Samantha Stanfield, P.A.-C.
Clinical Specialist
Samantha Stanfield is a Certified Physician Assistant. She graduated from the University of New England with a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies.
Christy Nagel, C.N.P.
Clinical Specialist
Christy Nagel is a Certified Nurse Practitioner. She graduated from the College of St. Scholastica with a Master of Science degree in Nursing.
We care about your patients
Cuyuna Regional Medical Center’s practice mirrors the advanced medical care found in major U.S. teaching hospitals. We prioritize compassion and connection, aiming to treat your patients as if they were our own.
Specializing in neck and back pain, we use interventional procedures to provide individualized care. Our team, including board-certified interventional pain doctors, clinical specialists, and skilled nurses, focuses on creating a safe and welcoming environment.
Let’s restore pain-free lives together
We value your collaboration and encourage you to share patient scenarios for prompt access to personalized care.
Your input helps us obtain timely imaging and expedite treatment when necessary. We’re committed to working through challenges like insurance prior authorization to swiftly secure procedural approvals for your patients.
Give your patients the best chance for long-term pain relief