Pain
Center -
IntraDiscal
ElectroThermal Therapy
IntraDiscal ElectroThermal (IDET) Therapy is a procedure performed at the
Miller-Dwan Pain Center to treat patients with persistent acute and chronic
back pain. IDET is a therapeutic option designed for patients with chronic
discogenic pain, for whom other aggressive,
non-surgical therapies have failed. It was FDA approved in March 1998. With age or injury, cracks or fissures may
develop in the wall of the intervertebral disc. Filled with small nerve endings and blood vessels,
these fissures are a chronic source of pain in many patients. Additionally,
the inner disc tissue can herniate into the fissures
stimulating pain sensors within the disc. IDET is a minimally invasive treatment, in
which the physician applies thermal energy (heat) to a section of the affected disc wall. A flexible
catheter is inserted into the center of the disc and rests along the injured
area of the disc wall. The generated heat contracts and thickens the
collagen of the disc. Pain relief can occur with contraction of the
fissures, a reduction in disc herniation, and
desensitization of the disc pain sensors.
Seventy to 80 percent of patients are experiencing pain
relief.
Low back pain is a common ailment affecting people at some point in their
life. Many can resolve pain through rest, physical therapy or
medication. But the chronic sufferers experiencing pain for at least 6 months without
prior surgery may be candidates for the IDET Therapy. The procedure is
performed as an outpatient with local anesthetic. Miller-Dwan Pain Center offers a wide variety of pain management
interventions for diagnosis and treatment of persistent pain. Staff
physicians from Anesthesia Associates, Duluth; Medical Advanced Pain
Specialists in the Twin Cities; and the Pain Clinic of Northwestern
Wisconsin in Eau Claire work with increased accuracy to improve patient
comfort and optimize outcome. For more information about IDET Therapy call
the Miller-Dwan Pain Center at 733-2344. 
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