How Radiofrequency Ablation Can Tackle Your Back Pain
Is chronic back pain keeping you from living the life you want? Back pain might be common, but it’s often difficult to treat — and when conservative care like physical therapy and medication aren’t enough to stop the pain, you may feel as though you’re out of options.
If this sounds familiar, radiofrequency ablation might be right for you. This treatment approach targets the source of your back pain by quieting irritated nerves in your spine. It’s a minimally invasive procedure, and it has the power to offer lasting relief from chronic back pain.
As a leading pain management specialist, Eric Fanaee, MD, provides the latest treatments for patients dealing with chronic nerve pain. If you’ve tried conservative care options without relief, it’s time to explore how radiofrequency ablation can tackle your back pain once and for all.
How radiofrequency ablation offers back pain relief
Radiofrequency ablation uses controlled heat to stop pain signals in certain nerves in your spine. An electrical current gently heats the area of nerve tissue that’s causing your pain, and the heat damages the tissue to prevent pain signals from being transmitted to your brain.
This treatment offers immediate pain relief because your brain no longer receives those pain signals. Radiofrequency ablation is minimally invasive, and there’s no downtime required. It’s considered safe for people who are in generally good health.
If you choose radiofrequency ablation, you may receive anesthesia to help you relax throughout the procedure, and a local anesthetic numbs the skin in your treatment area. You lie on an X-ray table, and Dr. Fanaee inserts a small needle with a microelectrode under your skin that sends electrical currents to the targeted nerve tissue to heat the tissue and stop your pain.
The results with radiofrequency ablation vary depending on the cause and severity of your back pain. However, many patients find that the procedure provides pain relief for 6-12 months or even longer — all without invasive surgery.
The Intracept® Procedure
The Intracept Procedure is another treatment that relies on radiofrequency energy to stop chronic back pain. It’s a targeted procedure that addresses pain in the basivertebral nerve, and Dr. Fanaee can help you determine if it’s a good option for you.
When to consider radiofrequency ablation for back pain
Chronic back pain can restrict your life, and when conservative treatment isn’t making a difference, radiofrequency ablation may be right for you. Dr. Fanaee recommends it as a treatment option for people with:
- Arthritis
- Chronic low back pain
- Chronic neck pain
- Facet joint pain
- Sacroiliac joint pain
- Spinal degeneration
When you see Dr. Fanaee for back pain, he assesses your condition to determine the root cause of your discomfort. He often recommends trying noninvasive treatment options first, such as physical therapy or medication. If you still have pain after trying these treatments, radiofrequency ablation could offer long-lasting relief that helps you feel like yourself again.
Learn more about the benefits of radiofrequency ablation for your chronic pain. Contact Dr. Fanaee at 631-265-2020 or request an appointment online now.