EXTON, PA — Television chef and Exton resident Eric Theiss underwent a minimally invasive outpatient procedure in December 2025 after nearly three decades of chronic lower back pain, turning to a treatment designed for vertebrogenic pain after surgeries, injections and nerve ablations failed to provide lasting relief.
Theiss, 60, had undergone two discectomies, repeated steroid injections and multiple nerve ablations during years of treatment, according to materials provided about his case. His pain eventually interfered with routine movements, prolonged standing and activities with his family.
Pain management specialist Dr. Craig Van Dien identified the condition as vertebrogenic pain, which originates from damaged or inflamed vertebral endplates rather than more commonly treated sources of back pain.
Theiss subsequently underwent the Intracept Procedure, a Boston Scientific treatment that uses radiofrequency energy to ablate the basivertebral nerve, interrupting pain signals originating from the vertebral endplates.
The implant-free procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and is intended for patients who have experienced chronic lower back pain for at least six months, have already tried conservative treatment and show certain changes to vertebral endplates on MRI.
Theiss reported substantial relief soon after the procedure and has since returned to spending extended periods in the kitchen, boating and playing pickleball, according to the account provided with the treatment information.
The case spotlights a broader effort to distinguish vertebrogenic pain from other causes of chronic lower back pain. The materials accompanying Theiss’ case estimate that vertebrogenic pain affects roughly one in six people with chronic back pain.
More than 30 million Americans live with chronic low back pain, according to figures cited in the release. Pennsylvania’s aging population could increase the number of residents dealing with chronic musculoskeletal conditions as the state’s median age rises.
The Intracept Procedure is FDA-cleared for certain patients with chronic vertebrogenic lower back pain. Diagnosis generally relies on MRI findings known as Modic changes, which can indicate inflammation or damage at the vertebral endplates.
According to clinical data supplied with the treatment materials, 75% of patients studied experienced sustained improvements in pain and function five years after a single procedure, while nearly 70% returned to activities they had enjoyed before the onset of back pain. The supplied data also state that 80% would undergo the procedure again if needed.
Those results describe study populations and do not establish that every patient will experience the same outcome.
The procedure is not appropriate for all patients. Contraindications listed in the supplied materials include pregnancy, certain cardiac or pulmonary conditions, active implanted electronic devices, infection, skeletal immaturity, and anatomy that could increase the risk of injury during treatment.
Van Dien specializes in sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, New Jersey, with a clinical focus on musculoskeletal injuries, degenerative conditions, and interventional pain procedures.
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