Chronic back pain can steal your life, impacting everything you do, from simple daily tasks to happy times with loved ones. For Sarah, this was a grim reality for over two decades. “I’ve been dealing with chronic back pain for over 24 years,” she shares. “The pain that I was living with was impacting every aspect of my life, from taking care of my children, taking care of myself, to having to change my roles as an RN, and just living.”
Sarah’s struggle led to deep depression, as pain became a constant in her daily life. She tried numerous treatments with Dr. Jacob Blake at Sierra Neurosurgery Group, ranging from non-opioid medications and muscle relaxers to anti-inflammatories. After 18 months of persistence, a life-changing solution was finally approved by her insurance: the Intracept procedure.
The Science Behind Sarah’s Relief: Understanding Intracept
Dr. Blake, who has been treating Sarah for a long time, immediately recognized her as a candidate for Intracept. “I ran to the computer, and I pulled up her MRI and she had the perfect findings that you would be looking for on the MRI inside the spine,” he explains.
So, what exactly is Intracept and how does it work? Dr. Blake explains: “Inside the spine, there are the discs separated by bones and those are the supporting structure of the spine. When the discs start to wear out and get inflamed, they irritate the bone and there’s a nerve that lives inside of that bone and that’s what the Intracept procedure is about. It is about cauterizing that nerve that lives inside that bone.”
The procedure itself is remarkably minimally invasive. “The surgery site is so small that I don’t even have to put a suture in it, I can just glue it with some Dermabond glue,” Dr. Blake explains. “It’s very minimally invasive, outpatient, the whole procedure takes maybe 45 minutes at the most.”
A Miraculous Transformation: From a 7 to a 0 Pain Level
Sarah’s results amazed her. “I woke up and pain that I’ve been living with was gone,” she remembers. “We are going on a year – going from living at a seven pain all the time to today where I’m at a complete zero.” This dramatic shift is a testament to the effectiveness of the Intracept procedure for the right candidates.
And the relief isn’t just temporary. Dr. Blake highlights the long-term efficacy of Intracept: “The data that got this procedure approved was a 5-year study looking at the results and they found that the results were durable – lasting 5 years at least and I think now they even have some of those patients followed out at least 7 to 10 years and they’re all doing just the same.”
Reclaiming Life’s Adventures: The Impact on Sarah and Her Family
For Sarah, freedom is an understatement. “Life’s an adventure again,” she exclaims. “I’m not scared to live my life now. I’m not constantly pumping the brakes, or my kids aren’t having to tell me ‘No mom, don’t do that.’ I can do the things that moms are supposed to and want to do with their children.”
Dr. Blake has witnessed the positive change in Sarah. “I have been seeing her for so long that I kind of expected one person and when she came back it was a person who had a different light in her eyes, someone who had different energy, who had lost weight, who had just a smile on her face who just looked you could just tell had a different outlook on the world.”
Sarah’s daughters echo this sentiment. Her youngest shares, “It’s a lot more fun than seeing my mom like lay around the house because her back’s hurting.” Her older daughter adds, “She’s more active and she’s more happier.”
Confidence in Care: Sierra Neurosurgery Group’s Commitment
Sarah’s journey to relief was also shaped by the consistent care and support she received from Dr. Blake and his team at Sierra Neurosurgery Group. “Things are changing constantly in healthcare and Dr. Blake and his team will do whatever they can,” Sarah states confidently. “They will fight the insurance for you, they will write for you, they will do whatever they can because their goal is to make you enjoy life again… which I’m living proof.”
If you’re suffering from chronic back pain and feel like you’ve tried everything, Sarah’s story offers hope to keep trying. The Intracept procedure could be the answer you’ve been searching for, allowing you to reclaim your life. Contact our office for schedule an evaluation.