Radiofrequency Ablation

Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care

Pain Management Physicians & Vein Specialists located across Northwest Indiana

If you can’t find sufficient pain relief from medications or injections, you may be a candidate for radiofrequency ablation. At the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care, with offices in Hobart, LaPorte, Merrillville, Munster, and Valparaiso, Indiana, the team of pain management specialists offers non-surgical radiofrequency ablation procedures. Ablation interferes with the nerve signals that travel to your brain to keep you pain-free and physically active. Find out if radiofrequency ablation is right for you by calling the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care office nearest you or request an appointment online today.

Radiofrequency Ablation Q & A

What is radiofrequency ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure to treat chronic pain, especially in your neck and back.

The goal of radiofrequency ablation is to destroy the nerve fibers that carry pain signals to your brain. The Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care providers deliver radiofrequency energy into the nerve tissue to heat and destroy it. After treatment, pain signals can no longer travel to your brain.

What conditions can radiofrequency ablation treat?

Radiofrequency ablation, also known as rhizotomy, may be a treatment option if you have chronic pain that’s not treatable with oral or injectable medications or as an alternative pain management technique.

Your provider at the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care can determine if you’re a candidate for radiofrequency ablation by reviewing your medical history and the root cause of your pain.

They may recommend this type of treatment if you have chronic back or neck pain due to arthritis in the facet joints of your spine or conditions like sciatica. Rhizotomy can also treat chronic knee and pelvic pain, as well as peripheral nerve pain.

What can I expect during radiofrequency ablation?

The team at the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care offers radiofrequency ablation in a comfortable office setting. Your provider uses a local anesthetic to numb the area before they insert a hollow needle into the treatment site.

To ensure they treat the correct nerve fibers, the team uses the guidance of fluoroscopy, a live X-ray technology, to position the needle near the targeted spinal nerves. Radiofrequency energy then passes through the needle to burn the nerve fibers and create a lesion that disrupts nerve signals.

Treatment only takes a few minutes for each nerve and your Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care provider can treat multiple nerves during your ablation procedure.

How long does it take to recover from radiofrequency ablation?

Following radiofrequency ablation, you can expect to spend a brief period in recovery and start moving around before you can go home. You need someone to drive you and should avoid strenuous activities until you make a follow-up visit with your Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care provider.

Initially, you may still have pain for up to two weeks after your treatment. Many people notice a decrease in their pain immediately after an ablation, but it can take 10 days or longer to experience the optimal benefits of your treatment.

Pain relief following a radiofrequency ablation can last between nine months and two years depending on the source of your pain. In some cases, the treated nerve can grow back, and your pain may increase. If this occurs, your provider may repeat the ablation procedure.

To find out more about the pain-relieving benefits of radiofrequency ablation, call the Centers for Pain Control and Vein Care office nearest you or request an appointment through the online booking system today.