3 Types of Pain That Respond Well to Radiofrequency Ablation

Chronic pain due to injuries and degenerative conditions can appear in almost any part of your body. While lifestyle changes are often the first recommendation, advanced therapies in the office are also often necessary. 

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for chronic pain that uses the heat from radiofrequency energy to damage nerve endings at the source of your chronic pain. The heat is gentle and controllable enough that it won’t damage any surrounding tissues, and the resulting relief lasts for nine months to two years.

Here at Naples Regenerative Institute in Naples, Florida, Glenn M. Flanagan, MD, performs radiofrequency ablation to treat chronic pain in the joints and other regions. Here are three types of pain that Dr. Flanagan routinely uses radiofrequency ablation to treat:

1. Back pain

Chronic pain in the back can leave you feeling stiff and sore all the time. Back pain tends to originate in the cervical spine, which is the portion of the spine located in your neck, or the lumbar spine, which is in the lower back. However, you can get back pain anywhere along the spine.

Within the spine is a series of facet joints that allow you to twist and bend your neck and back. These joints can sustain damage from arthritis, which is sensed by tiny nerves next to the painful joints. . During radiofrequency ablation, our team locates the nerve where the pain starts and creates a heat lesion using radiofrequency with fluoroscopy (X-ray) guidance. 

2. Knee pain

Chronic pain in the knee is a common result of osteoarthritis, a type of joint damage that develops over time due to repeated use of the joint as well as wear-and-tear. During the procedure, our team targets specific active nerves around the joint that are sending pain signals to your brain. 

Genicular radiofrequency ablation stops the sensation of pain coming from damaged knee joints. It treats chronic knee pain due to arthritis, tendinitis, degenerative joint disease, and knee pain after surgery.

3. Shoulder pain

Chronic pain in the shoulder is often due to firings from the suprascapular nerve. Like knee pain, chronic shoulder pain can be the result of arthritis in the joint or postoperative shoulder pain. Targeting the suprascapular nerve with radiofrequency ablation minimizes the pain you feel for months or even years.

Shoulder pain isn’t only due to arthritis. Radiofrequency ablation may be a part of your treatment plan for chronic shoulder pain from cuff tear arthropathy, shoulder instability, bursitis, or bone spurs. 

If you’re prepared to explore radiofrequency ablation for any of the types of pain detailed above, schedule an appointment at Naples Regenerative Institute over the phone or online today.