Radiofrequency Ablation

For those with chronic back, neck, or arthritis pain, radiofrequency ablation may provide long-term pain relief. At Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, board-certified pain management experts Adam Shestack, MD, and Cy Blanco, MD, perform radiofrequency ablation for patients suffering from chronic pain. To schedule a consultation with the pain management specialists today, call the office or request an appointment online today.

What is radiofrequency ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure using radiofrequency energy to compromise the nerves that send pain signals to your brain. By impairing the nerves, radiofrequency ablation may provide long-term pain relief for those suffering from chronic pain.

Florida Pain Management Institute has board-certified interventional pain management specialists who understand the effect that chronic pain has on your health and well-being. Instead of focusing on your symptoms, the team treats the root cause of your pain, so you get long-term pain relief. 

The team offers many innovative treatments, including radiofrequency ablation. 

Am I a candidate for radiofrequency ablation?

When you come in for a pain management consultation, your doctor conducts an in-depth evaluation to determine the best treatment for you. 

They may consider you a candidate for radiofrequency ablation if you have chronic back, neck, or arthritis pain and if conservative medical interventions no longer provide relief. 

To confirm that a radiofrequency ablation is the right choice for you, your doctor first performs a diagnostic nerve block. During the nerve block, they inject medication into the nerve that is causing your pain. 

If you experience significant pain relief after your nerve block, you may benefit from radiofrequency ablation.  

What happens during radiofrequency ablation?

Typically, a radiofrequency ablation takes less than an hour. During the procedure, your doctor has you lie on an X-ray table and administers a local anesthetic at the site of your injection. They may also provide a mild sedative to help you relax.

Using guided imaging, your doctor inserts a thin hollow needle into the pain-producing area and injects a contrast material to ensure proper placement. They inject a numbing medication and then transmit the radiofrequency energy to destroy the nerve responsible for your pain.

Your doctor then sends you to the recovery area for monitoring and discharges you home the same day. You must have someone drive you home after your radiofrequency ablation.  

What can I expect after radiofrequency ablation?

You can resume most of your usual activities within 48 hours after the procedure. Patients often feel relief from their pain about 10 days after their radiofrequency ablation. Pain relief may last anywhere from nine months to two years.

Call the team at Florida Pain Management Institute, or request your pain management consultation online today.