Radiofrequency Ablation

If you experience chronic back or neck pain, radiofrequency ablation offers a minimally invasive alternative to surgery. At The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, pain management specialists John Melek, MD, MSC, and Engy Melek, MD, RD, LD, regularly use radiofrequency ablation to manage chronic pain. To see if it works for you, call the Dallas, Texas, office or request an appointment online today. 

What is radiofrequency ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses low-frequency radio waves to help manage and relieve chronic pain. 

During treatment, your provider at The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine uses radiofrequency energy to heat a small area of nerve tissue. 

Heating the nerve disrupts its ability to send pain signals to your brain, potentially providing relief for months or years.

What conditions can benefit from radiofrequency ablation?

The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine team uses radiofrequency ablation to treat various conditions, including:

• Axial neck pain
• Back pain
• Diabetic neuropathy
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Cancer pain
• Joint pain caused by arthritis

Sometimes, radiofrequency ablation is used to treat pain caused by cancer and other serious chronic conditions. 

Who is a candidate for radiofrequency ablation?

You may be a candidate for radiofrequency ablation if you experience chronic musculoskeletal pain and your symptoms don’t improve with conservative treatments, such as physical therapy, ice and heat therapy, or over-the-counter pain medication.

If your provider thinks you may benefit, they administer a nerve block injection first. If your symptoms improve after the nerve block, it suggests the targeted nerve is contributing to your pain and that you may benefit from radiofrequency ablation.

What happens during a radiofrequency ablation procedure?

Radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure that takes about an hour.

On the day of your appointment, you lie face down on an exam table, and your provider administers a local anesthetic. Next, your provider inserts a needle into the area where you have been feeling painful symptoms. 

Once the needle is in position, your provider inserts a small electrode through it. Then, a radiofrequency current is sent through the needle and into the nerve tissue responsible for your pain. The current heats the nerve tissue and blocks it from sending pain signals to your brain. 

Your provider can treat more than one nerve if necessary. At the end of treatment, they remove the needle and electrode and provide recovery instructions. Afterward, many people experience noticeable pain relief for between nine and twelve months, although individual results may vary.

To see if you’re a candidate for radiofrequency ablation, make an appointment at The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, by calling the office or requesting an appointment online today.