Cabell Huntington Hospital now offering proven treatment for patients with chronic low back pain

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Cabell Huntington Hospital, a member of Mountain Health Network, today announced it is among the first in the Tri-State to offer an innovative approach to provide relief for patients suffering from chronic low back pain (CLBP), specifically called vertebrogenic pain.

The treatment is the Intracept® Procedure – a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure which targets a nerve located in the vertebrae called the basivertebral nerve (BVN).

Dr. Ghassan T. Moufarrege, board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at the Cabell Huntington Hospital Pain Management Center, is among the first in the Tri-State to offer the Intracept Procedure, an innovative approach to provide relief for patients suffering from chronic low back pain (CLBP).

During the procedure, Dr. Ghassan T. Moufarrege, board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at the Cabell Huntington Hospital Pain Management Center, advances a specialized probe into the vertebrae and uses radiofrequency energy to heat the BVN, rendering it unable to transmit pain signals to the brain. The Intracept Procedure generally takes an hour to perform and is implant free, preserving the overall structure of the spine.

“The Intracept Procedure addresses a source of vertebrogenic back pain we could not treat or diagnose before now,” said Dr. Moufarrege, associate professor at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “Not only is the procedure proven to be safe and durable, but it also provides patients with the opportunity to get back to living without the burden of chronic low back pain.”

Clinical studies of the Intracept Procedure have shown:

• Long-term improvements in pain and function, sustained more than 5 years
• Sustained decrease in patients using opioids and injections long-term
• Nearly 80% of patients indicated they would have the procedure again for the same condition
• Less than 0.3% rate of serious Intracept Procedure-related complications reported.

Of the 30 million people in the U.S. with chronic low back pain, 1 in 6 are likely to have vertebrogenic pain, a distinct type of CLBP caused by damage to vertebral endplates, the interface between the disc and the vertebral body. Disc degeneration, and the wear and tear that occurs with everyday living, produces stresses on the endplates that damage them, leading to inflammation and vertebrogenic pain.

To meet the criteria for the Intracept Procedure, a patient must have chronic low back pain lasting six months or longer, has not responded to at least six months of conservative care, and presents with degenerative vertebral endplate changes as seen on an MRI.

Tri-State area residents interested in learning more about the Intracept Procedure can visit www.cabellhuntington.org or call the CHH Pain Management Center at 304.526.ACHE (2243) for more information.