Your mild® Practice – How to Get the Most Impact From mild®
Published
December 10, 2021
As a mild® provider, it’s important to brand yourself as a mild® practice to attract new patients and educate people in your community who are searching for relief from lower back pain and mobility issues. By presenting the mild® Procedure as part of your treatment offerings, you can highlight that your practice provides advanced lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) treatment options for potential patients searching for alternative solutions to epidural steroid injections (ESIs), pain medication, or back surgery.
The following patient education, healthcare professional, and digital (web/social) resources will help ensure your practice is well-equipped in identifying and educating the community and your referral networks about LSS, and how mild® can play an effective role in a patient’s care path.
Outfit your practice so patients know you offer the mild® Procedure.
Flip Chart
Use the 2-sided presentation tool to walk your patients through LSS, their treatment options, and what to expect with the mild® Procedure.
Send patients home with a reference tool to remind them of your consultation and reinforce your recommendations. Mark up the “What does your imaging show” page to identify stenosis level(s) and indicate contributing factors to spinal canal narrowing. Patient Brochure now available in Spanish.
Let patients know you offer an alternative to ESIs. Display posters in the lobby, exam rooms, and hallways so they can learn about mild® while they wait to see you. Two sizes available: small (18” x 24”) and large (24” x 36”).
Obtain a baseline assessment of each patient’s functionality to compare outcomes after mild®. Set expectations by reminding the patient that reconditioning and mobility improvement increases over time.
Stream the video on lobby screens and during consultations to help patients understand the procedure and its benefits, through visually engaging animations. The video includes but does not require audio.
Click the “Share” button on YouTube to get the embed code or contact us to request an MP4 format.
Learn more about how to outfit your practice, optimize resources, and guide patients through their treatment path. Contact your Vertos representative for a copy of the blueprint.
Add information about mild® to your website to help educate patients about the procedure.
Website Text
Copy and paste the following directly onto your site:
About the mild® Procedure
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 (all ages, all plan types, including Medicare Advantage) the VA, U.S. Military & IHS. Commercial coverage varies.
If you are actively offering mild® to your community, make sure they can find you! Check our Find a mild® Doctor website resource to make sure all of your office locations are included.
Connect with us: Stay up-to-date with the latest information on the mild® Procedure and tag us in your posts!
Incorporate these ready-to-use social media templates into your feed. Include hashtags: #mildprocedure #vertosmedical #lookfortheligament #MOVE2mild #lumbarspinalstenosis #lss.
Now Offering mild®
We are excited to announce that we offer the minimally invasive mild® Procedure for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). This short, outpatient treatment removes a major root cause of lumbar spinal stenosis through an incision smaller than the size of a baby aspirin and has shown to significantly improve LSS pain and mobility.
Get in touch with [PRACTICE] to see if you may be a candidate for the mild® Procedure at [PHONE #] or [WEBSITE].
Pain, numbness, heaviness, and tingling in the lower back, legs, or buttocks when standing or walking are common symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) that can make doing everyday tasks unbearable. The minimally invasive mild® Procedure addresses a major root cause of stenosis, by restoring space in the spinal canal to help improve back and leg pain.
Find out if you may benefit from the mild® Procedure by contacting [PRACTICE] at [PHONE #] or [WEBSITE] today.
A common condition typically found in those over age 50, lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) contributes to pain and mobility issues and may impact the ability to perform simple tasks. Watch this short patient education video to learn how the minimally invasive mild® Procedure may help those with LSS achieve lasting relief.
Find out if you may benefit from the mild® Procedure by contacting [PRACTICE] at [PHONE #] or [WEBSITE] today.
Click the “Share” button on YouTube to embed the video in your social post.
Additional content and tools designed specifically for APPs to help identify and educate patients.
mild® Quick Reference Card
Use the handy reference tool to ID mild® patients, including symptoms, indications, and benefits. Perfectly sized to fit in your lab coat pocket, on your badge reel, or clip to a workstation. Check out our blog Identifying & Educating mild® Patients – APP Guidance for patient identification tips and best practices.
Learn from fellow APPs on how they quickly established comfort with imaging review in their practice, identify hypertrophic ligamentum flavum (HLF), and educate mild® patients independently.
Personalized, Virtual, or On-site Training
Vertos representatives are available to answer questions or deliver customized training sessions aligned to your team’s learning priorities. Reach out to your local representative to schedule a training.
Build connections with referring physicians to help attract more patients to your practice.
Referring Practices
Ensure physical therapists, primary care physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and other practices/specialties in your area who treat patients with chronic low back pain know:
How to identify the most common symptoms of LSS; look for the “Shopping Cart Syndrome”
Your interventional pain practice offers minimally invasive options
Educational Tools
Utilize resources from Vertosmed.com, including the Animation Video, Patient Education Video, clinical articles, and blogs to help educate peers about LSS and the mild® Procedure.
Provide patient education materials such as the Patient Brochure and ESI Postcard. Remember to attach your practice information or affix a label.
Move More Questionnaire
Keep referring practices informed of their patients’ progress after mild®. Make sure they are aware of the functional improvements and how consistent those results are with other patients in your practice.
Learn from a leading mild® physician on how to differentiate your practice offering and attract more referrals from the community.
Word-of-mouth can be one of the most powerful tools to grow your mild® practice. Encourage patients to help advocate on your behalf.
Patient Testimonials
Document patients’ stories and testimonials; record a simple interview on a mobile phone that you can easily post to your website or social media. Showcase their mobility and be sure to obtain permission before posting the testimonial.
Patient Reviews
Encourage patients to share their improvements on review platforms or social media. Remind them that by sharing their story, they are helping others who are in pain find relief like they did.
Recognize LSS in Others
Teach mild® patients how to recognize LSS in their friends and family. They likely know others suffering from their same condition and can educate people in their community about the procedure.
Contact Us
We’re here to help! Team Vertos is committed to ensuring your practice has a strong foundation of tools to educate your community about the mild® Procedure and how its benefits are transforming the lives of patients. Please reach out if you need further assistance in optimizing these resources.
To order patient education marketing materials (brochures, posters, etc.) or to schedule a staff training, please contact your local Vertos representative.
For additional marketing-related questions, please email us at mild@vertosmed.com.
Benyamin RM, Staats PS, MiDAS ENCORE Investigators. mild® is an effective treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication: MiDAS ENCORE Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain Physician. 2016;19(4):229-242.
Mekhail N, Costandi S, Abraham B, Samuel SW. Functional and patient-reported outcomes in symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis following percutaneous decompression. Pain Pract. 2012;12(6):417-425. doi:10.1111/j.1533-2500.2012.00565.x.
2012 data from Health Market Sciences report for Vertos Medical 2013.
Data on file with Vertos Medical.
Staats PS, Chafin TB, Golvac S, et al. Long-term safety and efficacy of minimally invasive lumbar decompression procedure for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication: 2-year results of MiDAS ENCORE. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2018;43:789-794. doi:10.1097/AAP.0000000000000868.
Based on mild® Procedure data collected in all clinical studies. Major complications are defined as dural tear and blood loss requiring transfusion.
MiDAS ENCORE responder data. On file with Vertos Medical.
Jain S, Deer TR, Sayed D, et al. Minimally invasive lumbar decompression: a review of indications, techniques, efficacy and safety. Pain Manag. 2020;10(5). https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt-2020-0037. Accessed June 1, 2020.
Deer TR, Grider JS, Pope JE, et al. The MIST Guidelines: the Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Consensus Group guidelines for minimally invasive spine treatment. Pain Pract. 2019;19(3)250-274. doi:10.1111/papr.12744.
Hansson T, Suzuki N, Hebelka H, Gaulitz A. The narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal during loaded MRI: the effects of the disc and ligamentum flavum. Eur Spine J. 2009;18(5):679-686. doi:10.1007/s00586-009-0919-7.
Treatment options shown are commonly offered once conservative therapies (e.g., physical therapy, pain medications, chiropractic) are not providing adequate relief. This is not intended to be a complete list of all treatments available. Doctors typically recommend treatments based on their safety profile, typically prioritizing low risk/less aggressive procedures before higher risk/more aggressive procedures, but will determine which treatments are appropriate for their patients.
Although the complication rate for the mild® Procedure is low, as with most surgical procedures, serious adverse events, some of which can be fatal, can occur, including heart attack, cardiac arrest (heart stops beating), stroke, and embolism (blood or fat that migrates to the lungs or heart). Other risks include infection and bleeding, spinal cord and nerve injury that can, in rare instances, cause paralysis. This procedure is not for everyone. Physicians should discuss potential risks with patients. For complete information regarding indications for use, warnings, precautions, and methods of use, please reference the devices’Instructions for Use.
Patient stories on this website reflect the results experienced by individuals who have undergone the mild® Procedure. Patients are not compensated for their testimonial. The mild® Procedure is intended to treat lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) caused by ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. Although patients may experience relief from the procedure, individual results may vary. Individuals may have symptoms persist or evolve or other conditions that require ongoing medication or additional treatments. Please consult with your doctor to determine if this procedure is right for you.
Reimbursement, especially coding, is dynamic and changes every year. Laws and regulations involving reimbursement are also complex and change frequently. Providers are responsible for determining medical necessity and reporting the codes that accurately describe the work that is done and the products and procedures that are furnished to patients. For this reason, Vertos Medical strongly recommends that you consult with your payers, your specialty society, or the AMA CPT regarding coding, coverage and payment.
Vertos Medical cannot guarantee coding, coverage, or payment for products or procedures. View our Billing Guide.
Vertos is an equal employment opportunity workplace committed to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce. We strive to grow our team with highly skilled people who share our culture and values. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, age, color, race, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical & mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.
Hall S, Bartleson JD, Onofrio BM, Baker HL Jr, Okazaki H, O’Duffy JD. Lumbar spinal stenosis. Clinical features, diagnostic procedures, and results of surgical treatment in 68 patients. Ann Intern Med. 1985;103(2):271-275. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-103-2-271.
Kalichman L, Cole R, Kim DH, et al. Spinal stenosis prevalence & association with symptoms: The Framingham Study. Spine J. 2009;9(7):545-550. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2009.03.005.
Fukusaki M, Kobayashi I, Hara T, Sumikawa K. Symptoms of spinal stenosis do not improve after epidural steroid injection. Clin J Pain. 1998;14(2):148-151. doi:10.1097/00002508-199806000-00010.
Mekhail N, Costandi S, Nageeb G, Ekladios C, Saied O. The durability of minimally invasive lumbar decompression procedure in patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis: Long-term follow-up [published online ahead of print, 2021 May 4]. Pain Pract. 2021;10.1111/papr.13020. doi:10.1111/papr.13020
Friedly JL, Comstock BA, Turner JA, et al. Long-Term Effects of Repeated Injections of Local Anesthetic With or Without Corticosteroid for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Randomized Trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2017;98(8):1499-1507.e2. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2017.02.029
Pope J, Deer TR, Falowski SM. A retrospective, single-center, quantitative analysis of adverse events in patients undergoing spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication using a novel percutaneous direct lumbar decompression strategy. J Pain Res. 2021;14:1909-1913. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S304997
Pryzbylkowski P, Bux A, Chandwani K, et al. Minimally invasive direct decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis: impact of multiple prior epidural steroid injections [published online ahead of print, 2021 Aug 4]. Pain Manag. 2021;10.2217/pmt-2021-0056. doi:10.2217/pmt-2021-0056
Abstract presented at: American Society of Pain and Neuroscience Annual Conference; July 22-25, 2021; Miami Beach, FL.
Mobility Matters: Low Back Pain in America, Harris Poll Survey, 2022. View data and full summary here.
Deer TR, Grider JS, Pope JE, et al. Best Practices for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Treatment 2.0 (MIST): Consensus Guidance from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN). J Pain Res. 2022;15:1325-1354. Published 2022 May 5. doi:10.2147/JPR.S355285.
Connect with us: Stay up-to-date with the latest information on the mild® Procedure and tag us in your posts!
Social Media Templates
Incorporate these ready-to-use social media templates into your feed. Include hashtags: #mildprocedure #vertosmedical #lookfortheligament #MOVE2mild #lumbarspinalstenosis #lss.
Now Offering mild®
We are excited to announce that we offer the minimally invasive mild® Procedure for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). This short, outpatient treatment removes a major root cause of lumbar spinal stenosis through an incision smaller than the size of a baby aspirin and has shown to significantly improve LSS pain and mobility.
Get in touch with [PRACTICE] to see if you may be a candidate for the mild® Procedure at [PHONE #] or [WEBSITE].
Symptoms of LSS
Pain, numbness, heaviness, and tingling in the lower back, legs, or buttocks when standing or walking are common symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) that can make doing everyday tasks unbearable. The minimally invasive mild® Procedure addresses a major root cause of stenosis, by restoring space in the spinal canal to help improve back and leg pain.
Find out if you may benefit from the mild® Procedure by contacting [PRACTICE] at [PHONE #] or [WEBSITE] today.
Patient Education Video
A common condition typically found in those over age 50, lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) contributes to pain and mobility issues and may impact the ability to perform simple tasks. Watch this short patient education video to learn how the minimally invasive mild® Procedure may help those with LSS achieve lasting relief.
Find out if you may benefit from the mild® Procedure by contacting [PRACTICE] at [PHONE #] or [WEBSITE] today.
Click the “Share” button on YouTube to embed the video in your social post.