Radiofrequency Neurotomy: A Treatment for Certain Types of Pain

Treating chronic pain effectively involves exploring an entire world of treatments rarely discussed in GP and family medicine offices. One such treatment is something known as radiofrequency neurotomy. The treatment is considered an alternative to traditional medicine as well as a revolutionary approach to managing certain types of pain.

I say ‘certain types of pain’ for the simple fact that radiofrequency neurotomy has limited applications. It is not suitable as a treatment for every kind of chronic pain. In addition, its limitations are directly related to what the procedure does and how it’s performed.

Typical Treatment Applications

Radiofrequency neurotomy is a treatment involving the spinal cord. The idea is to reduce pain by directly addressing the associated nerves. According to the doctor’s at Weatherford, Texas-based Lone Star Pain Medicine, the procedure directly addresses affected nerves to interrupt pain signals.

With that in mind, the types of pain it is suitable for include:

• Somatic back pain
• Cancer pain
• Cervicogenic headache pain
• Trigeminal neuralgia

The procedure would do little to ease the pain of a broken limb, for instance. And even if it could relieve such pain, there are safer and more effective ways to address that sort of pain. Radiofrequency neurotomy is best suited to pain that is directly related to the spinal cord and its associated nerves.

How the Procedure Works

The best way to understand radiofrequency neurotomy is to consider another name by which it is known – radiofrequency ablation. Its ability to relieve pain rests in its mechanism of ablating targeted nerves so that they do not send pain signals. Ablation is achieved through heat generated by radio waves.

Radiofrequency ablation is pretty straightforward. A doctor has the patient lie on a table where local anesthetic is applied to numb the skin. Using X-ray or fluoroscopy as a guide, the doctor then inserts and places a needle near the targeted nerve.

Next, a low voltage electrical stimulation may be introduced to confirm proper placement. If the needle is placed properly, the stimulation will reproduce the patient’s pain or cause a nearby muscle to twitch.

Once placement has been verified, radio waves of a particular frequency heat the needle’s tip. This causes the needle to create a lesion on the nerve. It is the lesion that prevents the nerve from sending pain signals to the brain.

Including recovery and observation time, radiofrequency neurotomy takes 30-90 minutes to complete. Patients return home the same day. Doctors recommend that some patients rest for the remainder of the day while others are ready to resume normal activities.

What Patients Can Expect

Patients who are considering radiofrequency neurotomy rightfully want to know what they can expect from the procedure. First and foremost, a patient may experience additional pain in the days following the procedure. Additional pain is always a risk with treatments involving needles. There is also the risk of infection at the insertion site, but it is a mineral risk.

In terms of pain relief, most patients begin experiencing it 2-4 weeks after the procedure. Some may begin experiencing pain relief sooner. Relief lasts 6-12 months on average, and the procedure can be repeated if necessary.

In rare cases, bleeding or unintended nerve damage may occur. But given the fact that radiofrequency neurotomy is generally recommended only after all traditional therapies have tried and failed, patients tend to feel that the risks are worth it.

Radiofrequency neurotomy is appropriate for certain types of pain related to the spinal cord and its associated nerves. It works quite well for most patients. However, as with any medical treatment, there are no guarantees.