05/22/2026
What if one procedure could target the nerve causing your chronic lower back pain?
For patients with vertebrogenic pain, chronic lower back pain that originates from within the vertebral body itself, the Intracept procedure offers a targeted solution.
This FDA-approved treatment uses radiofrequency energy to ablate the basivertebral nerve, the nerve that transmits pain signals from damaged vertebral endplates. It's designed specifically for patients whose pain comes from Modic changes visible on MRI, not from discs or facet joints.
Who May Benefit from Intracept?
• Chronic axial, midline lower back pain unresponsive to conservative treatment
• MRI showing Modic changes (bone marrow lesions in vertebral endplates)
• Pain originating from within the vertebral body itself
• No significant leg pain or radicular symptoms
The procedure is performed as an outpatient under conscious sedation. Using fluoroscopic guidance, a radiofrequency probe is advanced to the basivertebral nerve within the vertebral body. Thermal energy then ablates the nerve, interrupting pain signals at their source.
Most patients go home the same day.
At Napa Valley Orthopaedic Medical Group, Dr. Jackie Weisbein takes a personalized approach to diagnosing and treating vertebrogenic pain. If you've been told to "just live with it," evidence-based interventional options exist.
Have you been diagnosed with Modic changes on your MRI? Share your experience below.
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