Radio Frequency Lesioning Can Relieve Your Facet Joint Pain
Doctors use state-of-the-art equipment while doing Radio Frequency (RF) Lesioning at Advanced Surgical Institute. The RF Lesioning procedure gives you relief from back pain caused by deterioration of the spine’s facet joints. It uses the heat from radio frequency waves to interrupt nerve function. As a result, the nerve temporarily is unable to carry pain signals.
During Radio Frequency Lesioning procedure, the doctor will:
- Use a local anesthetic to numb your skin and tissue at the operation site
- Insert a special needle-like tube into position near the nerve to be targeted
- Use a special x-ray machine called a fluoroscope to be sure the needle is in the proper position
- Insert an RF electrode into the needle. (Our equipment enables a doctor to treat up to four different sites along your spine during one RF Lesioning procedure), and
- Use RF waves to heat the tissue around the tip of the needle and damage the nerve’s ability to transmit pain messages.
The pain relief from RF Lesioning varies by person. It can be immediate, but it is not permanent. Eventually, your nerves will grow back and again carry pain signals. However, Radio Frequency Lesioning can block a nerve’s ability to carry pain sensations for three to 12 months. You can repeat the procedure after the relief wears off.
The Radio Frequency Lesioning procedure is also known as “radio frequency neurolysis.”
