Rf ablation how does it work

It is advised to have someone drive the patient home after the procedure. Depending on the area treated, a superficial burning pain with hypersensitivity, similar to a sunburn feeling may be experienced. Sometimes a slight numbness of the skin over the same area may also be experienced. Pain relief after RFA is typically experienced 1 to 3 weeks after the injection.

Patients may engage in regular activities but should let pain levels be their guide for the first few days. Since many patients have been de-conditioned over many months or years as a result of their pain, physicians might prescribe a guided physical therapy regimen to allow them to increase their strength and activity tolerance in a safe manner.

The radiofrequency ablation treatment is a relatively safe and low-risk procedure. It is advised to discuss the potential risk of developing any adverse reactions or side effects of RFA with a doctor prior to this treatment.

This procedure is most commonly used to treat chronic pain and conditions such as arthritis of the spine spondylosis and sacroilitis.

It is also used to treat neck, back, knee, pelvic and peripheral nerve pain. The benefits of radiofrequency ablation include: avoiding surgery, immediate pain relief, little to no recovery time, decreased need for pain medication, improved function, and a quicker return to work and other activities.

Radiofrequency ablation is done using fluoroscopic x-ray guidance and should NOT be performed on people who have an infection, are pregnant, or have bleeding problems. The doctor who will perform the procedure reviews your medical history and previous imaging studies to plan the best location for the ablation.

Be prepared to ask any questions you may have at this appointment. Patients who are take aspirin or a blood thinning medication may need to stop taking it several days before the procedure. Discuss any medications with your doctors, including the one who prescribed the medication and the doctor who will perform the injection. The procedure is usually performed in an outpatient special procedure suite that has access to fluoroscopy.

Make arrangements to have someone drive you to and from the office or outpatient center the day of the ablation. At the time of the procedure, you will be asked to sign consent forms, list medications you are presently taking, and if you have any allergies to medication.

The brief procedure may last minutes, followed by a recovery period. The patient lies on an x-ray table. Local anesthetic is used to numb the treatment area. The patient experiences minimal discomfort throughout the procedure.

The patient remains awake and aware during the procedure to provide feedback to the physician. A low dose sedative, such as Valium or Versed, is usually the only medication given for this procedure.

The technique for nerve ablation is similar to that used for diagnostic blocks. With the aid of a fluoroscope a special x-ray , the doctor directs a thin hollow needle into the region responsible for the pain.

Fluoroscopy allows the doctor to watch the needle in real-time on the fluoroscope monitor to make sure that the needle goes to the desired location. Contrast may be injected to confirm correct needle location. Request an appointment. Make a Payment. Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that uses an electrical current on a nerve to try to reduce pain. Just like the name states, the procedure uses radio waves to produce an electrical current, which then ablates, or erodes, the nerve.

With this procedure, the goal is that by targeting the nerve—which sends out pain signals to your brain—the amount of pain you are experiencing will decrease. However, radiofrequency ablation works differently for every person.

One of the most important things you should know about radiofrequency ablation is that the pain relief effects from the procedure are not always immediate. For many people, pain relief will start to kick in around 10 days after having the procedure.

However, for some people, it can take up to two or three weeks after the procedure for noticeable relief to begin. You may even experience a small amount of increased pain in the days immediately following the procedure, due to the nerves being irritated; but that is a normal will decrease with time. In some cases, the procedure may be repeated to ensure that the nerves sending out the pain signals were targeted effectively.

Following your procedure and waiting the full recovery time of over three weeks, if it is clear that the radiofrequency ablation was not successful in relieving your pain, you do have several options.

You should consult with your pain management specialist, who may recommend one of the following courses of action:.