What is Radiofrequency Neurotomy

Why do I need it?

Your doctor may recommend radiofrequency neurotomy to relieve ongoing neck, back, or hip pain that comes from a facet joint. If physical therapy or medication have not helped the pain, a diagnostic injection (shot) can be done to see if the pain is coming from a facet joint.

The diagnostic injection is called a medial branch nerve block. You are injected with a local anesthetic (nerve block) into a medial branch nerve near one or more facet joints. This is meant to stop the pain for a short time. If you feel pain relief from this injection, it’s a good indication that the pain may be coming from the facet joint. A doctor will usually perform two dignostic injections on separate days. Your doctor may then recommend radiofrequency neurotomy.

Potential benefits

• Can provide up to 80% pain relief, lasting up to one year
• Less invasive, with shorter recovery time than surgery
• Does not require hospital stay

Risks and potential complications

• No pain relief
• Need to repeated as often as every year
• Pain recurring in other places
• Injury to larger nerves with risk of senory or motor change
• Increased pain (rare)

Alternatives

Radiofrequency neurotomy is used after patients have experienced pain for several months and have already tried other approaches, such as:

• Oral medications
• Physical therapy

Radiofrequency Technology

• Continuous radiofrequency neurotomy for facet joint pain in cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spine.
• Continuous radiofrequency neurotomy for hips and knee joint innervation.
• Pulsed radiofrequency to nerve root.
• Pulsed radiofrequency of peripheral nerve (e.g. Suprascapular nerve, Occipital nerve).
• Pulsed radiofrequency for Sphenopalatine ganglion, Trigeminal nerve and sympathetic chain.

Thank you to Intermountain Health Care for sharing this information.
To view fact sheet Click Here