mild®
mild® is a short, outpatient treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) that restores space in the spinal canal to help improve back and leg pain.* Using specialized tools and imaging, mild® addresses a major root cause of LSS by removing thickened ligament through an incision smaller than the size of baby aspirin, leaving no implants behind, only a Band-Aid.
The minimally invasive mild® Procedure has a safety profile similar to epidural steroid injections but with lasting results, and patients typically return to normal activity within 24 hours with no restrictions.* mild® is covered nationwide by Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Commercial coverage and other plans vary.
What to Expect?
- We’ll give you a call before your appointment to talk through preparation instructions and your past imaging exams.
- If your exam requires contrast, we’ll discuss any special requirements with you.
- Be sure to tell us if you are pregnant, nursing, or if there is a chance you may be pregnant.
- On the day of your exam, please arrive 15 minutes early for check-in. If instructed to do so, please bring prior imaging results with you.
- Contact your doctor before you stop taking any medication.
- Please arrange to have someone drive you home after the procedure.
- When you arrive, you will be led to a changing room and given a pair of scrubs to wear for your exam. You will be given a locker to store your clothes, and anything else you may have with you during your exam.
- Using X-ray guidance, a radiologist will insert a thin needle and inject contrast solution into the bursa thought to be causing your pain. The contrast solution is designed to highlight your anatomy to help ensure precise targeting of the nerve.
- Next, the radiologist will slowly release a combination of anti-inflammatory (steroid) and anesthetic (numbing) medications into the area.
- You may experience some slight pressure or discomfort during the injection.
- We may ask you to wait after the procedure so our clinic staff can monitor your symptoms before you leave.
- When your scan is complete, you’ll be escorted back to the changing room so you can change out of the scrubs and back into your clothing.
- Once you have changed, your appointment is complete. You do not need to check out with the front desk when you leave.
- You may experience numbness and/or relief from your symptoms for up to six hours after the injection.
- The beneficial effects of the steroids usually require two to three days to take hold, but may take as long as five to seven days. Your usual symptoms may then return and possibly be worse than usual for a day or two. Results will vary.
- If an initial injection provided a certain amount of relief, a second injection might strengthen the pain relief effect. Also, if your pain subsides, but begins to return weeks or months later, additional injections are possible.
- If there is no change in your symptoms after a week, your doctor may want to investigate other possible sources for your pain.