Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a treatment that can helps ease chronic neck or upper back pain caused by problems in the facet joints in your spine.

Facet joints are small connections between each bone in your spine that let you bend, twist and stand upright. When these joints get irritated or injured, your medial branch nerves send pain signals from your facet joints to your brain, which causes discomfort. Radiofrequency ablation can help ease that pain.

At Summit Orthopedics, experts in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area use radiofrequency ablation to treat pain caused by a wide range of spine conditions.

What Is Radiofrequency Ablation?

During a radiofrequency ablation procedure, your doctor applies a small, controlled amount of heat to the medial branch nerves. Heating these nerves for a specific amount of time stops them from sending pain signals. As a result, you experience relief.

The procedure is known by several other names, including:

Cervical radiofrequency ablation
Lumbar radiofrequency ablation, or lumbar RFA
Radiofrequency (RF) neurotomy
RF ablation
Spinal ablation

If you have chronic back pain, radiofrequency ablation may be an effective treatment option. It can also be used for nerve disorders that make you feel extreme pain from things that aren’t usually painful.

Benefits of Radiofrequency Ablation for Back Pain

Once it takes effect, radiofrequency ablation can significantly reduce your back pain, helping you return to your regular activities. Additional benefits include:

A minimally invasive procedure, meaning no large incisions are needed
Long-term relief that can last for months or even years
Outpatient care, allowing you to home the same day as your procedure

What to Expect

Radiofrequency ablation takes about 30 minutes to complete, but you should plan to be at the center for one to two hours to allow time for preparation and recovery.

Before the Procedure

First, a member of your medical team places an intravenous line in your arm to provide fluids and any necessary medicine. Then, as you lie face down on the table, your care team cleans and numbs the area on your back to prepare you for the injection.

During the Procedure

Using a special type of X-ray called fluoroscopy, your doctor will carefully guide thin needles to your medial branch nerves. Your doctor might perform nerve testing to help confirm that the needles are at the target area. Once the needles are in place, your doctor applies heat for at least one minute.

After the procedure, you’ll spend at least 30 minutes in our recovery area.

What Are the Side Effects of Radiofrequency Ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation for back pain does come with some risks. The risks are minimal and are similar to any procedure involving a needle. These include, but are not limited to:

Allergic reaction
Bleeding
Infection
Irritation of the injected area, which could cause temporary worsening pain

Recovering After Radiofrequency Ablation

You may have discomfort for a few weeks after the procedure, which should get better as you heal. After any soreness is gone, you can return to your normal activities. It may take up to six weeks to fully experience the pain relief benefits of radiofrequency ablation.

To help ensure a safe and quick recovery, follow these instructions:

Keep the skin puncture sites clean and dry. Remove any bandages the next day and keep the skin open to the air.
For discomfort, apply ice packs to the injection site for 15 minutes several times a day.
Do not soak in a tub for 24 hours after the procedure. You may take showers.
After the first 24 hours, you may soak in a warm tub or stand under a warm shower two or three times per day to soothe the area. After each soak, pat the skin dry with a clean towel.
Tell your doctor about any signs of infection or other unusual symptoms. Look out for redness and warmth where you had the injection, pain that gets worse, swelling or drainage, chills, night sweats, or a fever that reaches above 100 F.
Record your pain and symptoms after the injection and report your results as instructed.