Radiofrequency Ablation

What is radiofrequency ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment that uses targeted radio waves to relieve acute and chronic pain. 

During treatment, your Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center provider uses a device to heat specific areas of nerve tissue. The heat destroys the targeted nerve (or group of nerves), preventing them from transmitting pain signals to your brain. 

Radiofrequency ablation is safe and presents few risks. Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center offers it to manage musculoskeletal conditions so patients can avoid surgery and get back to their routines.

What types of pain can benefit from radiofrequency ablation?

Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center uses radiofrequency ablation to treat several types of pain, including:

• Cancer pain
• Peripheral nerve pain
• Headaches
• Knee, hip, and shoulder pain
• Facial pain
• Sacroiliac joint (SI) pain
• Cervical (neck) pain
• Middle back (thoracic) pain
• Lumbar (lower back) pain

Sometimes, radiofrequency ablation is employed to manage spondylosis (spine degeneration).

What happens during a radiofrequency ablation procedure?

Radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure that takes 1-2 hours.

When you arrive at Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center, you change into a gown and lie facedown on an X-ray table. Your provider cleans and sterilizes the treatment site and uses X-ray imaging to guide a thin needle into a specific area of your body, such as an arthritic joint. 

Once the needle is in position, your provider injects a local anesthetic to numb the area. Then, they send a radiofrequency current through the needle, heating a specific nerve or nerve group. The current destroys the nerve, stopping it from sending pain signals to your brain.

After treating the nerves responsible for your pain, your provider removes the needle and applies a bandage to the treatment site. 

What is recovery like after radiofrequency ablation?

After radiofrequency ablation, you need someone to drive you home. Take the rest of the day off from work and get plenty of rest. Some people need 24-48 hours to recover. During that time, avoid strenuous activity.

It’s normal to have pain, redness, and mild swelling at the injection site. Apply an ice pack to the treated area to relieve inflammation, and take any medications as prescribed.

You might need physical therapy depending on how many nerves were treated. Physical therapy restores your strength and speeds up the healing process.

Call Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center today to schedule a radiofrequency ablation appointment.