Radiofrequency Ablation May Ease Arthritis-Related Back Pain

Radiofrequency ablation is a therapy that is being developed to treat chronic arthritis-related back pain. The procedure involves heat energy that is used to destroy or stun the nerves of a painful joint. For appropriate arthritis patients suffering with back pain, radiofrequency ablation may provide significant but temporary pain relief.

The best candidates for radiofrequency ablation are arthritis patients with pain that is primarily confined to the spinal and upper buttocks regions. During the outpatient procedure, doctors either apply radiofrequency energy continuously for 1 or 2 minutes to destroy the nerve tissue that is causing pain or they apply it in pulses that stun nerve tissue. Most people who undergo the continuous approach report more than 50 percent reduction in pain that lasts an average of 6 to 9 months. Relief from pulsed radiofrequency is similar but does not last as long. Radiofrequency ablation can be repeated but the benefits may decrease with repetition. According to the October 2007 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter and Science Daily, the procedure may become a viable treatment option for patients with arthritis-related back pain that have not responded to other treatments.

Related Resources:

• Guide to Lower Back Pain
• Back & Neck Pain at About.com
• Fast Facts About Facet Arthropathy
• Spine Osteoarthritis: What You Need to Know
• Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Back Pain?

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