Consisting of a six-inch needle and a fine catheter tipped with a heating element, the Oratec probe works by heating up the disk so that invading nerve fibers are cauterized, preventing them from sending pain signals to the brain. The instrument, the core of a new treatment called intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty, also seals cracks in the disk. In preliminary studies on hundreds of patients, nearly eight in 10 reported less pain and greater movement after undergoing the procedure. Moreover, half of those who had been taking narcotics are now drug-free.
