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Radiofrequency Ablation in New Jersey

Excellent Pain Relief Results at Gramercy Pain Center

Custom Pain Management Plans for You by Gramercy Pain Center

Chronic pain in the back, neck, or knee often makes it hard for people to perform daily activities comfortably. At Gramercy Pain Center, we want our patients to get through their day without being bothered by chronic pain or a complex regional pain syndrome. We offer a wide range of pain management solutions to help alleviate your symptoms and provide long-lasting pain relief.

Radiofrequency ablation for the nerves (or radiofrequency neurotomy) is one of the minimally invasive pain relief procedures we perform at Gramercy Pain Center. It involves using radiofrequency waves to heat the targeted nerve tissue, preventing it from sending the pain signal back to the brain.

If you’re experiencing chronic neck and low back pain because of arthritis or other spinal problems, then you might be a good candidate for a radiofrequency nerve ablation treatment at Gramercy Pain Center. We always make sure to provide each patient with personalized pain treatments to help manage their condition.

Understanding Radiofrequency Ablation

A radiofrequency ablation procedure is usually recommended to help patients reduce chronic back, hip, knee, or neck pain that won’t go away even after pain medication or physical therapy. It heats and destroys the nerve tissue in the affected area to prevent pain signals from reaching the brain.

Before your radiofrequency ablation treatment with us, our pain specialists need to review your medical history first. Imaging tests like X-Ray are also required to see your anatomy and find out the cause of your chronic pain. A diagnostic block test is also performed to see if you can benefit from an RFA procedure.

During the procedure itself, the radiofrequency ablation specialist applies a local anesthetic to numb the treatment area or the source of pain. The needle is guided by fluoroscopy for more accurate placement. It may be directed into the medial branch nerves (facet joints) or lateral branch nerves (sacroiliac joints).

Once the needle is where it needs to be, the doctor sends a microelectrode through the hollow needle to see if you feel a tingling sensation. This confirms that the location of the affected nerve is right. When the target area is confirmed, radiofrequency waves are sent through the needle to heat and destroy some parts of the nerve block.

What’s great about this non-surgical procedure is that it can target multiple nerves in just one treatment. You can also return to your normal activity on the same day as the appointment. Immediate pain relief isn’t common and most patients only experience noticeable relief after a few weeks.

Gramercy Pain Center: The Best Radiofrequency Ablation Provider in New Jersey

Gramercy Pain Center is the trusted clinic when it comes to excellent treatments like radiofrequency ablation for various pain problems. As the premier pain management center in New Jersey, we are dedicated to providing our patients with the care they deserve to help alleviate their pain and promote their well-being.

Patient-Centered Care – At Gramercy Pain Center, we make sure that your needs are met with every treatment. We always do our best to understand your lifestyle, health condition, and treatment goals so we can provide you with personalized treatments for a quick recovery.
World-Class Facilities – Each procedure at Gramercy Pain Center is performed inside state-of-the-art facilities to ensure your comfort and safety at all times. This also allows us to provide you with the latest and most effective treatments for your pain problems.
Holistic Treatments – Depending on your physician’s recommendation, we can combine interventional procedures, medications, physical therapy, and other treatment methods to relieve your pain, improve body functions, and speed up your recovery.
Highly-Skilled Experts – The success of your treatment also depends on how skilled your doctor is. Our team at Gramercy Pain Center is composed of highly-trained physicians and specialists who specialize in fields like physical medicine, sports medicine, and pain management to provide you with holistic care and treatment.

When to See a Pain Management Specialist for Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation

Most people endure the pain they experience. But when it becomes too intense or frequent, then it might be time to see a pain management specialist get the proper diagnosis and treatment for your chronic pain. Make sure to consult with a pain expert immediately if:

Your pain persists or worsens when you move a certain way
You struggle to complete daily tasks and simple day-to-day movements
You’re also experiencing strange sensations like tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness aside from pain
You’ve become too dependent on over-the-counter pain medications for pain relief
You lose sleep because of the pain or discomfort
Your pain occurs on one or both sides of your lower back
Your pain starts spreading to the thighs and buttocks, but not below your knee

Conditions Treated with Radiofrequency Ablation

At Gramercy Pain Center, our team of physicians and pain management experts starts each treatment by performing a consultation to know more about your condition. This allows us to determine if radiofrequency ablation is the best type of pain treatment for you.

Patients with the following pain problems and medical conditions may experience relief from their symptoms using radiofrequency ablation:

Spondylosis – This general term refers to the chronic pain caused by the degeneration of the spine. It may include conditions like facet pain and osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease. Diagnosis of the exact cause is needed before starting any type of pain treatment for spondylosis.
Trigeminal Neuralgia – This pain condition causes patients to experience painful sensations on one side of their face. It affects the trigeminal nerve that carries nerve signals from the face to the brain. Patients with trigeminal neuralgia may trigger excruciating pain even with simple movements like applying makeup or brushing their teeth.
Cancer Pain – Pain caused by cancer may happen if the tumor grows and presses on certain nerves, organs, or bones. The tumor itself may also release chemicals that cause dull, aching, burning, or tingling sensations in the affected area.
Heart Rhythm Problems – Arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat occurs when the electrical signals that make the heartbeat don’t work well. Although it might only seem like a harmless condition for some people, others may find it bothersome or even life-threatening.
Peripheral Nerve Pain – This type of nerve damage affects the nerves found outside the brain and spinal cord. Peripheral neuropathy often causes numbness, pain, and weakness in the feet and hands. In some cases, this pain condition may also affect body functions like blood circulation, digestion, and urination.

Other Alternatives to Radiofrequency Ablation

Although radiofrequency neurotomy is a highly-effective and safe pain relief treatment for many health conditions, it might not always be the best option for many patients. If you’re not qualified for an RFA procedure, your doctor may prescribe one or a combination of the following treatments instead:

Physical Therapy – Various special techniques that improve the patient’s mobility and function. Some of the most common physical therapy recommended for chronic pain patients are stretching and strengthening exercises, heat or cold therapy, massage therapy, and TENS.
Epidural Steroid Injection – Steroid injections directly administered in the epidural space are meant to reduce inflammation, nerve pain, and joint pain. It’s also usually recommended to help patients limit their pain relief medication intake and encourage them to continue their physical therapy sessions.
Spinal Cord Stimulation – This type of minimally invasive treatment involves planting a special device near the spinal cord. It delivers low-level electrical signals to prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. Patients may use a remote control to turn the device on or off and control the intensity of the electrical signals.
Intrathecal Drug Delivery – This treatment also requires a minimally invasive surgical procedure to place the intrathecal pain pump under the skin. The implant delivers muscle relaxants like morphine or baclofen directly to the spinal cord. Intrathecal therapy provides better pain relief compared to oral pain medication even with just a fraction of its dosage.

FAQs About Radiofrequency Ablation and Pain Management

Q: Does radiofrequency ablation have any side effects?

A: Radiofrequency ablation is a generally safe procedure that’s proven to be an effective treatment for chronic pain. But like any other medical treatment, it carries a few slight risks like allergic reaction to the anesthetic or bleeding and infection at the injection site. Having a radiofrequency ablation specialist perform the treatment for you helps minimize these risks.

Q: How long does radiofrequency ablation provide chronic pain relief?

A: The effects of RFA treatment vary per patient but most of them experienced pain relief for about 6 to 12 months. Around this time, new nerve endings may develop so patients experience more intense and frequent pain again. The good news is that they may still undergo radiofrequency ablation treatment after consulting with their doctor.

Q: Does radiofrequency ablation hurt?

A: It’s common for patients to experience pain, discomfort, hypersensitivity, and burning sensations in the treatment area during the procedure and up to a few days after the treatment session. Some patients describe the sensation as something similar to having a sunburn on their skin. Applying an ice pack to the injection site may help alleviate any pain or discomfort.

Q: Is there anything I need to avoid after my RFA treatment?

A: Patients are usually asked to avoid using a heating pad or taking a bath for 2 days to allow the treatment area to recover. There might be some soreness, but it usually goes away after a few days. Full pain relief results may be expected a few weeks after the treatment after the affected nerves die and stop sending pain signals to the brain.

Seek Effective Pain Relief with Radiofrequency Ablation at Gramercy Pain Center

At Gramercy Pain Center, we want to help each of our patients alleviate pain and discomfort, manage their condition, and recover quickly. We’re dedicated to providing you with the latest pain management solutions like radiofrequency ablation and other treatments, so you can return to your old life without worrying about sudden pain in your neck, back, and other parts of your body.

Take the first step to long-lasting pain relief by booking your first consultation with our pain experts.