Radiofrequency Ablation for Arthritis Pain

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Radiofrequency Ablation for Arthritis Pain

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Radiofrequency Ablation for Arthritis Pain - May 29, 2008 9:35:28 PM

TC PT

Posts: 36
Joined: January 5, 2007
Status: offline

A physician is proposing this procedure to a former patient of mine who wants my opinion. She told me he first would do a nerve block which if effective in reducing her pain, would make her a candidate for RFA. Does anyone here have experience with this procedure for arthritic pain? Pros/cons, and opinions all welcome.

Post #: 1

RE: Radiofrequency Ablation for Arthritis Pain - May 30, 2008 2:05:43 AM

bonez

Posts: 210
Joined: August 29, 2007
Status: offline

I had a chance in the late 90's to sit in a small session workshop with Dr Hillel Sommer. He was a physiatrist(sp) from Winnipeg Manitoba. He worked with Nikolai Bogduk on the initial ablation work. They looked a C spine facet innervation and did fluro guided injection of freezing first to look for symptom abatment.( patients were blinded to expected duration) Then they did hypertonic saliene for aggravation. If all came back pos then the cooked the nerve. They found up to 14 months for regrowth. Since some of Hillel's patients were post MVA they expected recurrence after regrowth but saw the pain cycle break and stop in some.
I can't recall where I read it lately but I believe that this kind of tx has not been so popular now.

(in reply to TC PT)

Post #: 2

RE: Radiofrequency Ablation for Arthritis Pain - May 30, 2008 6:43:06 AM

Sebastian Asselbergs

Posts: 1153
Joined: September 29, 1999
From: Barrie, Canada
Status: offline

Just recently I scanned though the "archives" section of Spine online (showing abstracts) - I know I saw a 2008 article in there about RFA between March and May - sorry, that is as close as I can remember. Maybe someone else has better memory or access to Spine. For some reason, the link is HUGE: http://www.spinejournal.com/pt/re/spine/home.htm;jsessionid=L1bHnKzpJ61XSCQ3QCtKqk2lnsgt1hnbpyx8q6cgkXwvpywydpyM!1750372989!181195628!8091!-1
then use the "archive button" at the top.

< Message edited by Sebastian Asselbergs -- May 30, 2008 6:47:34 AM >

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Mundi vult decipi

(in reply to bonez)

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RE: Radiofrequency Ablation for Arthritis Pain - June 3, 2008 10:06:07 PM

TC PT

Posts: 36
Joined: January 5, 2007
Status: offline

bonez, based on the limited number of responses I'd guess you are correct regarding the popularity of this procedure.

Found your article Sebastian. It was a lumbar study with encouraging results.

Thank you both for the replies.

(in reply to Sebastian Asselbergs)

Post #: 4