Value of Technology Advancing Healthcare Through Innovative Technologies and Devices

Disc Biacuplasty using Radiofrequency Technology
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Lower back pain will rob millions of Canadians of enjoyable work and recreation. Dr. Michael Gofeld helps them return to pain-free lives.
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References

1 Deyo R, Cherkin D, Conrad D, Volinn E. "Cost, Controversy, Crisis: Low Back Pain and the Health of the Public." Annual Review of Public Health. 12:141-156 (May 1991)

2 Nanos Research (SES). "Canadian Pain Survey." (2007)

3 Maigne J. Spine. 21:1889-1892 (1996); also Schwarzer A. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 54:100-106 (1995) and Schwarzer A. Spine. 20:1878-1883 (1995)

Lower back pain will rob millions of Canadians of enjoyable work and recreation. Dr. Michael Gofeld helps them return to pain-free lives.

You see them in every workplace, in every family, and in every walk of life. People who once led active, dynamic lives forced to give up their physical recreation, and at times even their jobs, because of debilitating lower back pain. Statistics show that between 60 to 90% of Canadians can expect to experience some form of lower back pain during their lifetime.1

"Often patients with non-specific lower back pain are young and previously productive workers," says Dr. Michael Gofeld, a staff physician in the Chronic Pain Management Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. "Many do not receive effective treatment because they lack a definite diagnosis. Or if there is a definite diagnosis we often find that conservative treatments including medication, physiotherapy, traction, and massage may not work."

Chronic pain associated with the lower back can be very frustrating for patients and for physicians. It is often challenging to diagnose and, once the source of this pain is located, it is difficult to treat effectively. For many patients, standard treatments such as rest, physiotherapy, exercise, medication, and injections offer only short-term relief. For longer-term relief a patient may consider highly invasive surgeries however these carry significant associated risks of complications and may not necessarily be effective in alleviating the patient's pain.

Approximately 40 per cent of lower back pain is "discogenic" in origin.2 This means that it originates from the spinal discs which act as cushions between the vertebrae of the spine. Now, a new technology is giving patients who suffer from discogenic lower back pain a new treatment option called disc biacuplasty.

Disc biacuplasty using Radiofrequency (RF) energy is a minimally-invasive procedure that offers long-term relief to patients with degenerated or mildly herniated spinal discs. Disc biacuplasty literally means "two-needle treatment of the disc". The procedure takes about 30 minutes, is performed in an outpatient setting, and does not require general anesthesia. The patient lies on a treatment table, is mildly sedated, and the area to be treated is frozen with a local anesthetic.

During the procedure, two probes are inserted through the back into either side of the affected disc through introducer needles. RF energy is then passed between the probes, gently heating the damaged disc tissue in the area between and surrounding the probe tips. This energy "de-activates" the sensory nerve fibers in the disc that send pain signals to the brain. When the procedure is finished, the probes are removed and a bandage is placed on the insertion sites. After a short period of rest and observation the patient can return home.

"I had a 34 year old airline pilot on disability leave," says Dr. Gofeld. "Previous comprehensive conservative therapy had failed him completely. Six months after the disc biacuplasty procedure, this young man was back to work on transatlantic flights and jogging 10 kilometers every day."

 

Technology Overview

Disc biacuplasty with cooled Radiofrequency (RF) technology uses RF energy to effectively disable the sensory nerves responsible for pain in damaged spinal discs. The technology consists of an RF generator and two water-cooled probe electrodes. By cooling the probes internally with water, the device maintains the ideal temperature for optimal results without damaging surrounding tissues. The probes are carefully inserted into the disc and the tissue is gently warmed by RF energy, de-activating the nerves that transmit pain signals.

Prior to this technology, patients suffering from discogenic pain were in large part limited to rest, medication, and short-acting injections. If these did not succeed, then highly invasive surgeries may have been required. Disc biacuplasty may allow certain lower back pain sufferers to avoid highly invasive procedures and experience long-term pain relief, with little risk of complication.

fast facts

  • 60-90% of Canadians will experience lower back pain at some point.1
  • Chronic pain costs Canadians $10 billion annually.2
  • 40% of people with chronic low back pain have discogenic pain.3 Of these, 10-30% are eligible for a Disc biacuplasty procedure.
  • Disc biacuplasty using RF Technology:
    • Reduces and can eliminate discogenic lower back pain.
    • Reduces dependence on drugs/opiates, doctor and hospital visits and improves quality of life, independence, and ability to work.
    • Is minimally invasive and offers fast recovery. A bandage is applied at site and patient is sent home one hour after the procedure.
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