Back Pain Wrecking Your Golf Game? It May Not Be Your Swing
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Myrtle Beach is the Golf Capital of the World. With more than 80 courses nearby, golf is a way of life here. So when back pain creeps into your swing, it’s more than annoying. It can take away something you love.
Struggling with chronic back pain that won’t quit? CMC Orthopaedics and CMC Pain Management both offer the Intracept Procedure, a one-time treatment designed to target pain at its source. Learn how to schedule a consultation today.
Your Swing Is Tough on Your Spine
A golf swing asks a lot of your back. That’s because every drive combines twisting, bending and a burst of force. Over thousands of swings, that strain adds up.
For some golfers, the result is a pulled muscle. Rest and physical therapy usually fix that. For others, however, the pain sticks around. It sits in the middle of the low back and gets worse the longer you sit. Because of this, it also flares up when you bend down to grab a ball or reset a tee.
This is exactly the kind of pain the Intracept Procedure was designed to treat.
When Rest and Therapy Aren’t Enough
“A lot of the golfers I see have already tried rest, physical therapy and anti-inflammatories,” says Dr. Simone Maybin, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician with fellowship training in Interventional Spine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Maybin sees patients at CMC Orthopaedics whose pain doesn’t fit the usual mold.
“In some of these cases, the pain isn’t coming from a muscle or a disc. Instead, it starts inside the spinal bones themselves,” she explains.
This type of pain is called vertebrogenic pain. Here’s how it happens. Each spinal bone has thin outer layers on its top and bottom, called endplates. Wear and tear, including years of twisting swings, can damage them. Then a nerve inside the bone starts sending pain signals to your brain.
A One-Time Treatment for This Kind of Pain
For this specific type of pain, CMC offers the Intracept® Procedure. Both CMC Orthopaedics and CMC Pain Management perform it. Instead of masking the pain, it targets the nerve that creates it.
Here’s what to expect:
- Your doctor uses heat to switch off the pain-sending nerve
- You receive anesthesia, so you stay comfortable
- The procedure takes about 60 to 90 minutes
- Nothing is left behind in your back, and most people go home the same day
Recovery is also short. Most people rest for a couple of days and return to light activity within several days. Some feel relief within two weeks. For many, it keeps improving over about three months.
The results can also last. In long-term research, about 75% of patients still saw improvement in pain and daily activity five years later. Nearly 70% got back to doing things they enjoyed before the pain began.
Could You Be a Candidate?
Intracept isn’t for everyone, so doctors generally look for people who have:
- Low back pain for six months or longer
- No lasting relief from treatments like physical therapy or medication
- An MRI showing Modic changes, a sign of endplate damage
Some people, such as those who are pregnant or have a pacemaker, aren’t candidates. As with any procedure, there are risks. Your doctor will walk you through them.
Not sure if Intracept is right for you? Our pain specialists can review your history and imaging to help you find the best path forward. Talk to a CMC pain specialist today.
Two Specialists, Convenient Locations
So golfers across the Grand Strand have two places to turn for Intracept. Dr. Simone Maybin sees patients at CMC Orthopaedics. At CMC Pain Management, Dr. Farayi Mbuvah focuses on non-opioid treatments for long-lasting pain.
You can find doctors offering the Intracept procedure at these locations:
- CMC Orthopaedics in Conway & Socastee, with Dr. Maybin
- CMC Pain Management in Myrtle Beach, with Dr. Mbuvah
Back to the First Tee
You don’t have to accept that your best golf is behind you. If your back pain fits this pattern, ask your provider about vertebrogenic pain. Then take the next step toward getting your swing back.
Schedule a Consultation: CMC Orthopaedics 843-347-8041 | CMC Pain Management 843-839-4598
Key Takeaways
- Vertebrogenic pain comes from inside the vertebra, not the disc or muscle, which is why it often doesn’t respond to typical back pain treatments.
- The Intracept Procedure uses heat to deactivate the basivertebral nerve, stopping pain signals at the source.
- It’s a one-time, minimally invasive, outpatient procedure that typically takes 60 to 90 minutes.
- Most patients notice relief within two weeks to three months, with results that can last for years.
- Candidates typically have six or more months of chronic low back pain and specific MRI findings called Modic changes.
- Both CMC Orthopaedics (Dr. Maybin) and CMC Pain Management (Dr. Mbuvah) now offer this treatment.
The content within this article and others on this website is only for educational purposes and should not be considered as medical advice. For any questions or concerns, please consult with your healthcare provider.
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Risk and Safety Information: All surgical procedures carry risks. Discuss all potential benefits and risks with your physician. Individual results may vary. For complete safety information, visit https://www.intracept.com/recovery-relief-safety/intracept-procedure-safety.html.
Sources:
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Boston Scientific, “The Intracept™ Procedure,” https://www.intracept.com/the-intracept-procedure.html
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Cleveland Clinic, “Intracept Procedure (Basivertebral Nerve Ablation),” https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/intracept-procedure
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Fischgrund J, Rhyne A, Macadaeg K, et al., “Long-term outcomes following intraosseous basivertebral nerve ablation for the treatment of chronic low back pain: 5-year treatment arm results,” European Spine Journal 29(8), 2020, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-020-06448-x
