Living with chronic pain takes up space in every part of your life. It’s there when you wake up, it follows you through the day, and it’s often still there when you’re trying to sleep.
It changes how you move, what you’re willing to do, and, over time, your mood, your relationships, and your sense of what’s normal. People who haven’t experienced it tend to underestimate it. People who have, know that it wears you down in ways that are hard to explain to someone who hasn’t lived it.
Many people living with chronic pain have tried what feels like everything under the sun and still have not found lasting relief.
Some medications stop working or come with side effects that create more problems. Injections can sometimes help for a few weeks and then wear off. At some point, it can start to feel like this is just how life is going to be.
Working with a pain specialist who is committed to finding a solution that works for you, rather than cycling through the same limited options, can make a difference.
A specialist has access to a broader range of treatments and the expertise to match the right one to the right person. At SEPA Pain & Spine, that includes advanced procedures like radiofrequency ablation.
Studies show that this treatment can deliver significant pain relief lasting anywhere from six months to a year or more for the right candidates.
With six locations in southeastern Pennsylvania, our team can help you explore what is possible with this treatment. Here, we cover what radiofrequency ablation is, how it works, and who it’s suited for.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to disable the specific nerve that is sending pain signals to the brain. When that nerve is no longer able to transmit signals, the pain stops.
Radiofrequency ablation has been used in pain management for decades, but the technique and technology have improved significantly. It’s now one of the more reliable tools available for certain types of chronic pain.
It’s performed under imaging guidance, which allows us to place the needle with precision at the exact location of the nerve. The procedure itself typically takes less than an hour.
The key distinction between RFA and other pain management procedures is duration. Where a steroid injection might provide relief for a few weeks to a few months, RFA can produce pain relief that lasts six months to a year, and in some cases longer.
Facet joint pain is a significant source of chronic neck and back pain, particularly in people with arthritis or degenerative changes in the spine, and it’s an area where RFA is most commonly used and has a strong evidence base.
We’ve also used it for sacroiliac joint pain, which is pain at the junction between the spine and the pelvis. This is a frequently overlooked source of lower back and buttock pain.
Knee pain from osteoarthritis is another area where RFA has shown meaningful results, particularly for people who aren’t yet candidates for knee replacement or want to delay surgery.
Not everyone with chronic pain is the right candidate for radiofrequency ablation, which is why the evaluation process is crucial.
Typically, you’ll need to have first responded positively to a diagnostic nerve block before we consider RFA. If the nerve block produces significant temporary pain relief, it confirms that the nerve being targeted is indeed the source of the pain.
Good candidates are generally people who have chronic pain that has been present for at least three to six months, has a clear and identifiable nerve source, and has not responded adequately to conservative treatments like physical therapy, medication, and injections.
Radiofrequency ablation won’t be the right answer for every person with chronic pain, but for the right candidate, it offers lasting, meaningful relief without surgery or ongoing medication.
If chronic pain has been affecting your quality of life, call us today to schedule a consultation at any of our offices in Horsham, Langhorne, Meadowbrook, Chalfont, East Norriton, or Limerick in southeastern Pennsylvania. You can also request one online here.
