Heating the outer layer of the intervertebral disc (thermocoagulating the annulus fibrosis) in the spine to get rid of back pain (and sometimes leg pain) is a new technique developed in 1997. In 1998, the FDA approved its use for coagulation and decompression of the disc. It is performed by briefly inserting a small wire inside the disc and heating it to destroy the nerves causing pain and denature the collagen, both located in the annulus of the disc. When the collagen heals and "remodels", it is suppose to both shrink the size of protrusions or herniations and cause collagen in the disc to heal stronger than it was before the treatment.

The benefits of the IDET procedure are that it is a brief (one half hour), minimally invasive procedure (one or two needles, no surgery) performed as an outpatient at a surgery center, using local anesthesia and IV sedation. So the risks, pain and costs are minimal. The major benefit, of course, is that the discogenic low back and/or leg pain may resolve without the need for major spine fusion surgery.