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Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation

Lower back pain can be caused by spondylosis, or arthritis of the spine. Facet joints deterioration, inflammation and bone spurs can all irritate the nerves surrounding the spine, resulting in chronic lower back pain. One option for relieving chronic back pain is lumbar radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a pain management treatment that is available at Caliber Pain™ in New York City.

What Is Lumbar RFA?

There is not a cure for arthritis of the spine, but there are pain management options. When other conservative treatments are not effective in controlling lumbar back pain caused by spondylosis, our physicians at Caliber Pain™ may recommend lumbar radiofrequency ablation (RFA). This treatment uses radio waves or heat energy to ablate the medial nerves around the affected facet joints that are signaling pain to the brain. The procedure can take less than an hour to perform and has been very beneficial for many of patients with chronic lower back pain from spondylosis.

Lumbar RFA is completed by first identifying the facet joints affected. Our doctors often use medial branch blocks to determine the facet joints and nerves causing chronic back pain. The RFA procedure is then used to disrupt or stop pain signals from the affected nerves. Lumbar RFA is performed by using image-guided needles to deliver heat energy to the targeted nerves. The radiofrequency ablation causes lesions on the nerves, impacting their ability to send pain signals to the spinal cord and brain.

Lumbar RFA, or rhizotomy, is an outpatient, non-invasive procedure that can offer almost immediate pain relief and minimize the need for other pain medication. It is recommended for those who are not obtaining relief from other types of treatment or want to avoid surgery.

If you suffer from chronic lower back pain from arthritis of the spine, lumbar radiofrequency ablation may be an option to give you relief without surgery. To learn more about RFA or our other interventional and regenerative medicine options for chronic pain, contact Caliber Pain™ for an appointment. We are located in Midtown Manhattan and welcome new patients.

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Caliber Pain™

460 Park Ave, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10022

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