In my continued research on procedures for whiplash victims I ran across information on the newest way to treat facet & SI joint pain. It's called Pulsed Radiofrequency Neurotomy.

In the past pain relief was achieved by burning the nerves to the area in a procedure referred to as Radiofrequency Ablation (RF). With this procedure, pre injections were needed to test the sites to see if treatment would be helpful (facet blocks). If the pre injections did not help, you did not qualify for the RF. Anyone who has ever had any spinal injections knows, sometimes they work and sometimes not. The pre injections were very unreliable, which may in some cases not allow people to receive treatment.

With the new procedure, the Pulsed Radiofrequency Neurotomy (PRN), the nerves are no longer burned, but stunned, making damage to surrounding tissue less likely AND no longer do you have to go thru the pre injections (facet blocks).

The Cannula (which is a hollow tube) is inserted next to the nerve, then a very small needed is thread through the cannula.

A small amount of electrical current will then be carefully passed through the needle to assure it is next to the target nerve. This should briefly recreate the usual pain and cause a muscle twitch in the neck or back.

Unlike the more traditional radiofrequency "burn", the pulsed technique is so gentle that it does not even require that the target nerve be numbed and does not run the risk of damaging surrounding tissue.

Donna,
This the R.F. that I was having done in the Past. And my nevers were cut using
pulsed R.F. Why the heck do them have 2 pulsed R.F.? Dang it so hard to keep up with treatments


Also called Pulsed radiofrequency (Pulsed
RF) rhizotomy, this procedure is done to
reduce or stop pain in the spinal facets. A
slight low temperature (42°C) pulsed
electric current is used to cut the nerves.
This short, minimally invasive procedure is
done with local anesthetic or conscious
sedation.

STEP 1
A needle-like tube called a cannula is
inserted and positioned near the targeted
dorsal root ganglion. A fluoroscope is used
to help position the cannula properly.
STEP 2
A pulsed radiofrequency electrode is
inserted down the cannula. To make sure it
is in the correct location, a small amount of
low temperature electricity stimulates the
area.

STEP 3
To desensitize the nerve, the surgeon
sends enough pulsed electricity through the
electrode o heat the nerve. Once the
neurotomy is done, the surgeon may repeat
the same procedure at different levels.
END OF PROCEDURE
After the procedure, the electrode and
cannula are removed. An increase in pain
may occur for about a week after the
procedure, with a full relief from pain seen
within a month. Successful Pulsed RF
neurotomies can last longer than steroid
block injections.

for letting me know you had it done. Did you ever have the nerves burned instead of pulsed. Just wondering how painful the procedure is and how long patients get pain relief.

Donna,
From what my P.M.(OLD) P.M. Doctor said the Pulsed RF he did frayed the nerves apart. This was so it would take the frayed pieces longer to grow back together. So I guess they were not burnt just frayed cut.
And Today all I can say is I am sick of longggggggggg needles!!