Radiofrequency Ablation: A Lasting Solution for Your Chronic Nerve Pain

Have injections helped your pain, but only temporarily? Radiofrequency ablation may provide longer-lasting relief by interrupting pain signals at their source. Read on to learn more about this last solution for your chronic nerve pain.

Living with chronic pain can feel like you’re constantly chasing temporary relief. For some, medications seem to wear off too quickly, and physical therapy alone isn’t enough. Even injections can help, but only for a few weeks or months.

If that sounds familiar, radiofrequency ablation may be the next step in your pain management plan. Rather than simply masking pain, this minimally invasive procedure targets the nerves that send pain signals to your brain.

Below, our team of specialists at Garden State Pain & Orthopedics explains what radiofrequency ablation is and how it can help with nerve pain.

What is radiofrequency ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation, sometimes called radiofrequency neurotomy, is a minimally invasive procedure that uses controlled heat energy to interrupt specific nerves that are responsible for transmitting pain signals to your brain.

Ablation doesn’t “cure” damaged nerves. Instead, you can think of it like temporarily turning off a faulty alarm system. The painful area may still exist, but the nerves no longer send constant pain messages to your brain.

Because the treated nerves can regenerate over time, pain relief isn’t permanent, but many people experience relief lasting six months to a year or longer, depending on the specific condition and the severity of the nerve damage.

Which conditions can radiofrequency ablation treat?

Our team at Garden State Pain & Orthopedics often recommends radiofrequency ablation for chronic pain involving the:

It may also help certain types of arthritis-related pain and other chronic nerve pain conditions.

Before recommending radiofrequency ablation, our team typically performs a diagnostic nerve block to identify the nerve responsible for your pain. For example, if your pain is coming from the facet joints in your spine, we may target the small medial branch nerves that carry pain signals from those joints.

What happens during the procedure?

Our team of pain management experts performs radiofrequency ablation as an outpatient procedure in Clifton, Edison, West Orange, Hazlet, or Jersey City, New Jersey.

We use either fluoroscopic guidance or ultrasound guidance to position a specialized needle near the nerve causing your pain. We then deliver a small amount of radiofrequency energy through the probe to destroy the pain-signaling nerve fibers. When these nerve fibers are destroyed by heat, it disrupts your nerves’ ability to transmit pain signals.

Most procedures take less than an hour, and many people return home the same day.

When will I notice relief?

Unlike a steroid injection, pain relief isn’t always immediate. Some people experience mild soreness for a few days after the procedure before noticing improvement. As the treated nerve stops transmitting pain signals, you may experience relief that develops over the following one to three weeks.

Is radiofrequency ablation right for you?

Radiofrequency ablation isn’t the right treatment for every type of pain. That said, you may be a good candidate if you:

Have chronic neck or back pain
Experienced temporary relief from diagnostic nerve blocks
Want to reduce your reliance on pain medication
Haven’t found lasting relief with conservative treatments

Our team will review your symptoms, imaging studies, and previous treatments to determine whether this treatment is appropriate for your condition.

Get longer-lasting pain relief

Living with chronic pain doesn’t mean settling for temporary solutions. At Garden State Pain & Orthopedics, our pain management specialists create personalized treatment plans to help you move more comfortably and return to the activities you enjoy.

Depending on the cause of your pain, your treatment plan may include radiofrequency ablation, medications, physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications.

The big picture: Radiofrequency ablation can help break the cycle of chronic nerve pain. With your pain better controlled, you may find it easier to participate in physical therapy, stay active, rebuild strength, and improve your overall quality of life.

If you’re wondering whether it’s right for you, schedule a consultation with our team today. Call or click here to get started.