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The back is the pillar of the body. It helps us to achieve all of our movements, including walking, reaching, lying down and exercising. Due to the fact that the back is always used, there is great opportunity for damage.
If you’re experiencing chronic low back pain and/or neck pain, and haven’t been able to find long-term relief with other treatment methods, Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation could be the solution you need. The team at Texas Pain Care in the Missouri, Sugar Land, and Houston areas can expertly treat and manage pain, with a goal to help their family of patients get back their quality of life.
Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that reduces the ability of the nerves to transmit pain. When ablation is used around the cervical spine (the neck region of your spinal column), this treatment is effective at reducing back and neck pain. The best part is that, in addition to having a great success rate, ablation is a minimally-invasive procedure that can help patients who are suffering with chronic pain avoid surgeries and extended recovery periods.
If you look at the anatomy of the spine, there are great opportunities for pain due to the link between each individual part. The spine, while rigid, is made flexible by each individual vertebrae (bones of the spine) that also help to protect the spinal cord. In between each vertebrae are facet joints that help cushion and provide support to the vertebrae. These facets are where medial branch nerves are found, which are small nerve branches that provide sensation (pain or otherwise) to the joint and communicate this sensation to the brain. This intricate and complex structure of the spine, vertebrae, joints and nerves means that any damage or breakdown caused by wear and tear can potentially affect the nerves. The goal with radiofrequency ablation is to locate the affected nerve and prevent it from sending pain signals to the brain.
The way it works is that a small radiofrequency current is directed to the medial branch nerve of the joint capsule for about a minute. The radiofrequency waves make heat, which stuns or destroys the nerve tissue that is sending the pain signals to the brain. This technique is often used after a medial branch block has been performed to identify the exact source of pain.
There are two specific forms of medial branch radiofrequency ablation that can help patients who are suffering from low back and neck pain.
Radiofrequency thermo-coagulation: Electro-thermal heat of 122-176 degrees Fahrenheit is generated and kept for several minutes, allowing for the destruction of pain fibers, removing the pain signals all together. This is also called continuous radiofrequency ablation.
Pulsed radiofrequency: Similar technique to radiofrequency thermal-ablation but the heat is lower, and delivered in pulses, which stuns the nerve instead of destroying it.
The specific form of ablation used depends on the type of pain management needed.
Overall, medial branch radiofrequency ablation can help patients who are suffering from low back pain, neck pain, muscle pain and a variety of other pain symptoms. If you are suffering from the below chronic pain conditions, or have other conditions that are causing pain, ablation could provide you the relief you’re looking for:
While medial branch radiofrequency ablation is a great tool for treating pain syndromes, it can also be used for the following conditions:
Due to the fact that medial branch radiofrequency ablation is a relatively quick, pain-free and minimally invasive procedure that can rid a patient of pain due to a myriad of causes, it is a great option for those who are suffering from chronic pain and haven’t yet been able to find relief.
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The majority of patients who undergo medial branch radiofrequency ablation experience good to excellent relief of their chronic pain. Pain relief can be experienced anywhere from six to 12 months, or sometimes even up to a few years.
While it might seem scary to burn nerves in your neck, this particular treatment option is targeted therapy, meaning that the provider will only target the nerves that are sending pain signals to the brain. All other nerves are left fully functioning.
Not only does medial branch radiofrequency ablation offer patients a reduction or complete removal of pain sensations, it also provides them with greater mobility and the ability to avoid using pain medications for extenuated periods of time.
Medial branch radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure that takes around an hour to complete. The pain management specialist will first utilize a topical anesthetic and local anesthetic to make sure the patient is comfortable. Then he/she will use fluoroscopic imaging to help guide a specialized needle through the skin and next to the targeted nerve. An electrode is then inserted through the needle, resting against the nerve. A final numbing agent is applied before the heat-generating current is delivered, ablating the nerve. The patient can expect to be comfortable and pain-free during the entire procedure.
In most cases, pain relief is immediate, however it could take a couple of weeks to experience complete pain relief.
The recovery period is mild. Patients might experience brief soreness at the injection site, which can be soothed with an ice pack and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication.
Due to the nature of the treatment in that it is a quick, minimally-invasive procedure, there are very few risks and minimal, if any, side effects. These could include bleeding at the injection site, infection at the injection site, pain at the injection site, and possibly worsening of pain symptoms. There are very few cases of paralysis, nerve damage, muscle weakness and severe pain, but these are few and far between. As stated previously, the majority of patients experience the intended result and are able to enjoy a pain-free life.
At Texas Pain Care, we are committed to helping our family of patients experience a pain-free life. If you believe you might be a candidate for medial branch radiofrequency ablation, or would like to learn more, please schedule an appointment today with one of our pain management specialists in the Houston, Sugarland and Missouri City areas.
The back is the pillar of the body. It helps us to achieve all of our movements, including walking, reaching, lying down and exercising. Due to the fact that the back is always used, there is great opportunity for damage.
Back pain, regardless of level, duration, or frequency, can greatly alter a person’s quality of life. Another level of frustration occurs when traditional therapy methods don’t work to provide much-needed relief, especially for patients who are suffering from spinal stenosis.
Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain, also known as sacroiliac joint dysfunction sacroiliitis, is a painful condition affecting the sacroiliac joints. Because these joints are at a crucial spot where the lower spine and pelvis meet, the pain radiates throughout the buttocks and low back, and often into one or both legs.
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