CERVICAL RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION (RFA)

For Chronic Neck Pain and Headaches

CERVICAL
RADIOFREQUENCY
ABLATION (RFA)

For Chronic Neck Pain and Headaches

WHAT IS RFA?

A cervical radiofrequency ablation(RFA) is an outpatient procedure for treating neck, upper back, and shoulder pain, as well as headaches. It is also called a cervical facet thermal coagulation or Rhizotomy.

WHAT ARE CERVICAL FACET JOINTS?

The area of the spine in the neck is called the cervical region, which is composed of 7 bones, called vertebrae. When two bones meet one another, it is known as a joint. In the spine, these joints are called facet joints. The facet joints help to guide your spine when you move. Each joint is about the side of a thumbnail. These joints are named for the two bones they connect and the side of the spine where they are found. The right C3-4 facet joint, for example, joins the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae on the right side. Medial branch nerves are found near the facet joints and they communicate pain from the joint. They tell the brain when the facet joints have been injured or are experiencing pain.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE CERVICAL FACET JOINT PAIN?

If you have headaches, neck pain, upper back, or shoulder pain and it has lasted longer than two months, you may have cervical facet pain.

Common tests such as x-rays or MRls may not always show if a facet joint is causing pain.The best way to diagnose facet pain is to block the pain signal in a medial branch nerve with a local anesthetic (numbing medicine).

HOW LONG
CAN I EXPECT PAIN RELIEF?

Nerves regenerate after an RFA, but how long this takes varies. Your pain may or may not return when the nerves regenerate. If it does, another RFA can be done.

On average, patients report 12-18 months of relief.

WHAT IS CERVICAL FACET JOINT PAIN?

You may feel pain if a cervical facet joint is injured or has inflammation. Sometimes it feels like muscle tension. Other times, it can be severe pain. The cartilage inside the joint may be injured. Other times only connecting ligaments surrounding the joint are injured. Facet pain also depends on which joint is affected. Cervical facet joint pain can occur in any area of your neck, upper back, or tops of your shoulders. Cervical facet joint pain can also cause headaches.

WHAT IS A CERVICAL RFA?

RFA uses radiofrequency energy to disrupt nerve function. When this is done to a cervical medial branch nerve, the nerve can no longer transmit pain from an injured facet joint.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN RFA?

A local anesthetic will be used to numb your skin. The doctor will then insert a small needle near the facet joint. Fluoroscopy, a type of x-ray, must be used to position the needle. The doctor will then check to make sure it is at the correct nerve by stimulating it. This may cause muscle twitching and provoke some of your pain. Once the needle is properly placed, the nerve will be numbed. Radiofrequency energy will then be used to disrupt the medial branch nerve. This is often repeated at more than one level of the spine.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER AN RFA?

You will be monitored for up to 30 minutes after the RFA. When you are ready to leave, the staff will give you discharge instructions. You will also be given a pain diary. It is important to fill this out because it helps your doctor know how the RFA is working. Take it easy for the rest of the day. You may feel sore for the first week. It may be due to muscle and nerve irritation. Your back may feel numb, weak, or itchy for a couple weeks. Maximum pain relief normally comes in two to three weeks, but can take as long as six to eight weeks.