Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a medical procedure in which part of the electrical conduction system of the tumour or other dysfunctional tissue is ablated using the heat generated from medium frequency current to alleviate pain by using radiofrequency energy to create a very focal heat at the tip of the needle.

So, for example, someone might have pain that’s in the low back. They have a lot of pain standing for a long time or walking. The process is where the doctors first do an X-ray-guided procedure.

Radiofrequency ablation is done in a smaller manner. They apply the radiofrequency energy and it focuses heat around the very tip of the nerve.

They call it a medical branch block. When the doctor confirms that they can adequately numb up the medial branch nerves that take the pain away, then the patient returns on a separate procedure day where they do the radiofrequency ablation.

Radiofrequency ablation is done in a smaller manner. They apply the radiofrequency energy and it focuses heat around the very tip of the nerve. So, it heats the nerve up, rendering it, not sending the pain signals anymore or ablating the nerve.

After that procedure, the pain relief can usually start working within a few days or a couple of weeks, and the good news here is that the evidence would suggest that 60-90% of people will get good pain relief even up to a year and people really do well with it when it works.

If you’re interested in an evaluation of the cause of your pain or want to be evaluated for an RFA procedure to help you manage your pain, contact the doctor you trust.