CINCINNATI LOCAL 12 Covers iO-Flex® System Technology

A young father from Westwood says new technology to beat back pain has given him back a part of his life.

For the past year and a half, Ken Ridener says he simply lost a part of his life. He could barely do anything with his son Luke, due to bad back pain.

“It started off with back pain and then it gripped ahhold of my hips and down my leg and it came to the point to where I was using a cane. I’m 34 years old,” said Ken Ridener, a patient with spinal stenosis.

Eventually he said he just couldn’t stand that pain anymore. So he turned to a team in Blue Ash, using newer technology. That technology is what’s known as the Io-Flex System.

Doctor Nael Shanti of CAST or the Center for Advanced Spine Technologies is among the first in the tri-state to use it. It’s designed to treat what was causing Ridener’s pain. A common problem known as Spinal Stenosis.

“Spinal Stenosis essentially is narrowing of the canal where the nerves live and that starts to present as back pain, more commonly as leg pain as well,” said Dr. Nael Shanti.

As this graphic courtesy of the company that makes io-flex shows that through a single incision in the lower back, tiny tools are inserted into the nerve tunnel. Before the procedure, the pain is caused by a ceiling or roof, pressing on the nerve and after, it is lifted.

“So my job is to go into that canal above the nerve with this instrumentation and essentially unroof, bring up the ceiling again, allow the tunnel to get bigger for the nerve,” said Dr. Shanti.

A month out from this procedure, Ken Ridener is back.

“I’m out in the yard playing basketball with him, doing drills, can’t wait for football season. Life has come back,” said Ridener.

Luke says it has for him too. You can find out more about this procedure and others at a free back pain seminar coming up Saturday December 3rd.

For more information, you can call 513-281-2278 extension 209. It’s at 10AM at the cast office in Erlanger at 652 Rodeo Drive.