What Is Radiofrequency Ablation?

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive, virtually painless, image-guided procedure for the treatment of neck and low back pain related to degenerative arthritis of the joints of the neck or back.  It is a procedure that involves the placement of thin probes under image guidance next to the very small nerves that transmit the pain from arthritic joints of the neck or back. Once adequate positioning is achieved under x-ray guidance, the probes are activated to gently heat the nerve to the joint to destroy its ability to feel pain.  The procedure takes from 45 minutes to 1 hour depending how many levels are ablated.  The patient is given a sedative before ablation, and the nerves are deadened with anesthetic.  After ablation, the patient can have pain relief on average for 1-2 years.  The procedure can be repeated if the patient has return of pain if the nerve grows back.  There is a very low risk of complications, and the procedure has a proven track record of success.