Radiofrequency Ablation May Be the Solution to Your Chronic Back Pain

Four out of five adult Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Half of all workers in the country report having had back pain within the past year. While in most cases the pain is short-lived and resolves with rest and minor medical care, some people develop chronic issues of such severity that work and daily life become difficult.

Doctors typically exhaust all conservative treatment efforts before recommending surgery. Drug-based pain management has limitations, since long-term use of any medication can lead to resistance to the drug’s effects and, sometimes, drug dependence.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive and drug-free procedure that changes the way that nerves report pain signals. RFA is just one of the solutions that the back pain specialists at Alliance Spine and Pain Centers can recommend for you to help cope with your chronic pain.

How RFA works

Radio waves are a way to project energy — they work the same way when they warm food in a microwave oven. RFA uses this warming principle to alter the way that nerves send pain signals to your brain. Essentially, targeted nerve tissue heats up until it no longer transmits pain impulses. 

For most patients, this means that the chronic pain they experience from lower back issues is reduced or eliminated. While relief is typically temporary, it may last for 6 to 12 months depending on your age. The procedure can be repeated when the pain returns.

The RFA procedure

As a minor procedure, RFA usually requires mild sedation and local anesthetics. You’ll be awake during the procedure to provide helpful feedback on effective probe placement. Your doctor inserts a thin, hollow needle near the nerves suspected of causing the chronic pain signals, typically with X-ray assistance for accurate placement. They then place a microelectrode in the needle to deliver the electrical current.

Once correct placement of the electrode is confirmed, the radiofrequency signal starts and warms the nerve tissue. You are given local anesthetic through the needle so there is no pain or discomfort as the tissue heats up. If you have sedation for the procedure, you’ll be observed after the RFA before being discharged and you’ll need to arrange a ride since you shouldn’t drive for 24 hours.

In addition, the local anesthetic needed for this procedure may cause numbness in your legs for a few hours after the procedure, so you may need help to walk safely during this time. We recommend that you rest for 24 hours. Your Alliance Spine and Pain Centers provider will advise you of the best recovery steps to take.

RFA Recovery

Some minor discomfort in your back around the ablation site is normal for a up to a few weeks after your appointment, once the anesthetic wears off. If this is a problem for you, ice your back on the day of the RFA, and use moist heat after that. You can also use normal pain medications or those recommended by your doctor.

If your lower back pain isn’t responding well to other forms of treatment, you may be a candidate for RFA. Contact us today by calling your nearest Alliance Spine and Pain Centers office or using the online request tool to schedule a personal consultation.