Radiofrequency Ablation Treatment for Osteoarthritis and Facet Joint Pain

The doctors of The Center for Interventional Pain Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, offer radio frequency ablation for patients with joint pain.

What is Radiofrequency Ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation, also known as radio frequency neurolysis, is a minimally invasive treatment option used to reduce pain commonly caused by osteoarthritis or facet joint pain. The treatment desensitizes targeted nerves using radio waves to provide pain relief.

How is a Radiofrequency Ablation performed?

For this intervention, the medial branch nerve is first blocked with local anesthetic in order to confirm that the joint is the true source for pain. If the nerve block reduces pain for the duration of the local anesthetic, then the nerve can be coagulated with radiofrequency heat current, rendering the joint numb and reducing pain long term.

The Center for Interventional Pain Medicine at Mercy provides leading edge interventional pain treatment options to reduce the need for pain medications and alleviate chronic pain.