Am I Eligible for Radiofrequency Ablation?

Chronic pain makes every movement agony and grinds life to a halt. It gets worse when you add the stress and worry of finding a treatment that will work for you. 

You’re in the right place. 

Dr. David Wu and our team at CurePain specialize in advanced pain management methods to deliver the relief you’ve been longing for. One of our most effective is radiofrequency ablation (RFA). 

If you’re wondering whether this revolutionary treatment is right for you, that’s best determined in our office, but here are a few details to get you started. 

The basics of the procedure

Usually, if you peel back the layers of your pain, you’ll eventually find that your nerves play a central role in your symptoms — which makes RFA so effective. 

RFA targets overactive nerves and “turns them off” so you stop feeling so much pain. 

The technology harnesses radio waves that create an electrical current. That current heats and destroys your problematic nerves, preventing them from sending pain signals. 

RFA doesn’t cure pain but can significantly reduce your symptoms and give you much-needed relief. During the break from pain, you’ll find it easier to participate in other treatments, like physical therapy, and resolve the underlying cause of your pain.

The ideal candidate

The good news is that RFA is as versatile as it is effective, so chances are you are eligible. We use RFA to treat everything from chronic back and neck pain to heart rhythm issues and cancer pain. 

If you’re interested in RFA treatments, we begin by evaluating your symptoms and medical history to determine if RFA can help you. You’re an ideal candidate if your pain checks these boxes:

• Long-lasting (chronic)
• Hasn’t responded to medication
• Hasn’t responded to a nerve block
• Flares up in certain positions or with certain movements
• Radiates to other areas of your body

We also talk about the possibility of surgery. If your pain isn’t likely to respond to surgical intervention (or you simply want to avoid the operating room), RFA may be right for you. 

The day of your appointment

We perform RFA on an outpatient basis, which means you go home the same day as your treatment. 

When you arrive, you lie comfortably on the treatment table, and we prepare the treatment site by cleaning it and applying a topical anesthetic. Then, we use a special type of X-ray called fluoroscopy to help guide the needle to your overactive nerve. With the needle in position, we turn on the radio frequency energy and ablate (turn off) your nerve. 

You may feel some mild soreness around the treatment site, but side effects from RFA are easy to manage with cold compresses and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories. There isn’t a long recovery after RFA, but we recommend resting at home for a few days and avoiding strenuous activities. 

Some people who get RFA treatments respond immediately, but you’re most likely to experience a gradual, steady improvement in your pain and symptoms over the next few weeks. Many of our patients enjoy months of pain relief, and others have been pain-free for years. 

With RFA, you can break free from the chains of chronic pain. Call our friendly staff or use our online booking tool to schedule a consultation at our Torrance, California, office today.