Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

Our bodies resemble a road map in so far as they are created with pathways that serve unique and specific purposes. Our blood vessels pump blood through our body, organs and tissues; our intestines digest our food, absorbing vitamins and electrolytes to provide our bodies with the nutrition we need to survive; and our nervous system — which includes the brain, spinal cord and a complex network of nerves — sends signal throughout our body. At times, these signals can be painful, letting us know we have an injury.

These pain signals are helpful as they serve as a warning or “safety switch” to let us know that something is wrong. However, when the chronic debilitating pain signals accelerate from protecting us to interfering with our daily lives, it is time to turn off the “safety switch.” Orthobiologics Associates helps by performing a Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) procedure, which disconnects the painful signal that travels to the brain by safely “clipping the wire.”

Guided by X-ray and/or ultrasound, the RFA procedure precisely cauterizes tiny spinal and body sensory nerves. After the injection of numbing medication, a special needle is placed next to the painful nerve and heated to sufficiently divide it along its course. Unlike pain relief procedures and surgeries that historically required months-long recovery time, RFA patients experience little to no downtime. This procedure can be applied to all joints of the spine, including painful peripheral nerves.