Local Equestrian Celebrates 4 Pain-Free Years After Same Procedure Featured on TODAY Show

Kirstin M. has a lifelong passion for horses. A professional equestrian trainer, Kirstin knows how to get back in the saddle after falling off. That said, the falling-off part can take a toll.

No stranger to pain or a multitude of conservative treatments for injuries, Kirstin has a history with OrthoAlabama Spine & Sports, especially with double-board-certified interventional pain management specialist Dr. Bradly Goodman.

“I have been using Dr. Goodman for about 12 to 14 years: he was recommended to me from another person in Birmingham who knew him,” said Kirstin. “He’s always been wonderful and helpful. I never wanted to do things that would keep me from not riding, and I always appreciate his ability to work with athletes.” 

Kirstin eventually came to experience limitations due to a specific kind of low-back pain. Working more with Dr. Goodman, they found that her pain was rooted in a particular nerve called the basivertebral nerve. This made Kirstin the perfect case for a procedure Dr. Goodman was involved in establishing: the Intracept® procedure

“It’s about the greatest thing that’s ever happened— It’s unreal how great it is,” Kirstin said about the treatment. “Within a week of having this procedure, I was doing everything I had done before that.”

Intracept offers a minimally invasive option to eliminate low-back in a very new way. In fact, Kirstin became one of the first two commercial patients for the procedure ever.

Kirstin had the procedure in 2018. She had a very quick recovery and did not need to undergo physical therapy. 

“There was no loss of feeling. It was amazing,” she said of her procedure and recovery. “Oh, mine was magic. It was like going to the Land of Oz. It was perfect.”  

Four years later, Kirstin says she is still completely free from the pain that was troubling her before. 

“I haven’t had pain in 4 years. It’s just been a miracle,” Kirstin said.

Because she had previously compensated for her low-back pain, she’s even eliminated other aches and problems that weren’t caused by the basivertebral nerve. 

“I was so crooked before, I never realized it,” Kirstin explained. “This is great, and I didn’t even notice it.”

Physically active to an extreme, Kirstin has put her treatment to the test, and she said, "It's been a great procedure. I hope more people do it.”

More people are having the Intracept procedure, including TV personality and TODAY Show host Carson Daly, who had his performed in June 2022. 

To learn more about Intracept and basivertebral low-back pain or to schedule an appointment with our providers at OrthoAlabama Spine & Sports, call (205) 228-7600 or request an appointment online.