The destruction of neural tissue in order to relieve pain was once quite common, especially in patients with terminal cancer. Care must be taken in deciding how, when and where to apply these techniques. Facet joint pain syndrome is one type of chronic pain syndrome which has been proven to be especially responsive to neural ablation. The sensory nerve supply to the facet joints of the spine, and the location of these nerves, has been well established. Once the condition of chronic facet joint pain is confirmed, a radiofrequency probe can be used to create a pin-point "cauterization" of the facet nerves, removing the arthritic pain for up to one year. This form of therapy is especially effective in chronic neck or back pain following a whiplash-type injury. The medical evidence supporting this treatment for chronic neck pain after whiplash is excellent, having been proven by a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Please bring your spinal imaging studies for review and our providers will decide if radiofrequency ablation can solve your chronic pain problem.
