Radiofrequency Ablation

When chronic pain drags on, affecting each day and forcing you to avoid activities, it’s time to look for a safe, effective, and, most importantly, long-lasting treatment like radiofrequency ablation. Roland Reinhart, MD, and the experienced pain management team at his practice, the office of Roland Reinhart, MD, in Palm Desert, California, have extensive experience performing outpatient, minimally invasive radiofrequency ablation, a treatment that can ease your pain for nine months or longer. Ready to see if you’re a candidate? Schedule an appointment through online booking or call the office today.

What is radiofrequency ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation uses a controlled heat source to create a precise wound on a nerve. The wound stops nerve signals from traveling along the nerve. When the nerve signals carrying pain messages are blocked, your brain doesn’t learn about the problem, and your pain lessens.

When would I need radiofrequency ablation?

Your provider could recommend radiofrequency ablation when conservative medical care fails to ease your pain. Radiofrequency ablation is so precise that it can target many different nerves. It can reduce the pain caused by many conditions, including,

• Lower back pain
• Neck pain
• Leg pain
• Facet joint arthritis
• Knee osteoarthritis
• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
• Hip and shoulder pain

Many people can stop taking medication and avoid surgery after radiofrequency ablation. 

What happens during radiofrequency ablation?

Your provider identifies the nerve and injects a nerve block, an anesthetic that stops nerve signals, temporarily blocking your pain.

A successful nerve block verifies that they’re targeting the nerve responsible for transmitting pain signals. Your provider then moves forward with radiofrequency ablation.

Most people undergo radiofrequency ablation with sedation together with an anesthetic at the injection site. Your provider uses fluoroscopy, an X-ray providing real-time moving images, to see the nerve and guide the procedure.

They insert a narrow, needlelike probe through your skin and guide it to the targeted nerve, positioning it to touch the nerve. Your provider sends a short burst of radiofrequency energy through the needle, producing enough heat to wound the nerve. 

You’ll stay in the office for a short time after your procedure. You might experience soreness at the treatment site. You’ll need to temporarily limit your activities to give the area time to heal. But most people return to work in a few days.

How long do radiofrequency ablation results last?

It typically takes up to 10 days to experience optimal pain relief, but you could get relief in a few days or weeks. Your results could last nine months to two years, depending on how long the nerve takes to regenerate.

Call the office of Roland Reinhart, MD, today or request an appointment through online booking to learn if radiofrequency ablation can make a difference in your life.