Intradiscal Electrotherapy (IDET) Treatment by Pain Doctors at Mercy

Patients with lower back pain seek the advice of our doctors at The Center for Interventional Pain Medicine at Mercy. Our pain medicine experts use intradiscal electrotherapy to treat patients with lower back pain.

What is Intradiscal Electrotherapy (IDET)?

Intradiscal electrotherapy or IDET is a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with low back pain.  The pain medicine specialists at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore have experience performing IDET treatments to provide pain relief to patients with chronic back pain.

How is Intradiscal Electrotherapy performed?

Using a fluoroscope device to view moving images through X-ray, the doctor will insert a needle containing a catheter and a heating element into the spinal disc. The catheter, positioned in a ring around the outer layer of the disc, is then heated to destroy the nerve fibers.

Who should receive Intradiscal Electrotherapy?

This procedure is most beneficial to patients who have experienced long-term low back pain that has not been relieved by other pain medicine treatments.