Surgery Overview

Intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET), Opens dialog is a treatment for chronic low back pain. Your doctor may suggest IDET if they think the pain in your back is coming from the disc itself. Your doctor may also suggest IDET if other treatments have not helped. There is no strong evidence that IDET works for most people.

Before an IDET procedure, you are given medicine to help you relax, and you will be numb. A doctor inserts a hollow needle and heating element into the disc. The heat is meant to destroy the nerve fibers that may be causing pain and toughen the disc tissue, sealing any small tears.

Back Pain: Getting In and Out of Bed, video

Back Pain: Self-Massage With a Tennis Ball, video

Intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) for disc-related low back pain, Opens dialog