Researchers have presented new findings on an experimental neurointerventional technique designed to treat severe back pain that involves delivering medication directly through the arteries supplying the painful area. The approach deploys catheter-based procedures commonly used for stroke treatment to target the source of pain in the spine.
These results were presented yesterday during a late-breaking data session at the 2026 Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) annual meeting (20–24 July, Seattle, USA).
In the study—titled, ‘Bilateral targeted segmental artery lidocaine-dexamethasone infusion for refractory thoracolumbar pain: preliminary experience’—researchers treated six patients by guiding a catheter through their femoral artery to blood vessels supplying the suspected source of pain, and infusing lidocaine and dexamethasone directly into the affected area.
Patients reported an average pain score of 9.5 out of 10 before treatment compared to zero immediately afterward. The procedure was also found to have reduced patients’ need for opioid pain medication, with two patients eliminating opioid use entirely during their hospital stay. Pain scores remained low three months after the procedure, and four patients even participated in physical therapy after the procedure—which, according to the researchers, they had been unable to tolerate pre-procedure due to their pain.
“Neurointervention has transformed how we treat stroke, aneurysms and other diseases of the brain and spine,” commented lead study author Matias Costa (University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA), who presented these data at SNIS 2026. “Now, we’re beginning to ask whether those same minimally invasive techniques can help patients living with severe pain. While we’re still in the early stages, these findings suggest endovascular therapy could one day play a role in reducing pain, improving function and decreasing reliance on opioids.”
In the researchers’ view, these findings represent an early milestone in the line of research on endovascular neurosurgery for pain, with further studies needed to determine efficacy.
