Radiofrequency ablation.
Six to eighteen months of relief, per treatment.
When facet joints in your spine are the proven pain generator, radiofrequency ablation can interrupt the pain signal for the better part of a year — sometimes longer.
Quiet the pain pathway. Keep your motion.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses controlled heat from a small probe to disrupt the medial branch nerves — the tiny sensory nerves that carry pain signals from arthritic facet joints in the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine. The medial branches are sensory only; they do not control muscle movement. Disrupting them does not weaken your back or change how you walk. The nerves slowly regenerate over months, which is why RFA is repeatable.
Diagnostic blocks first. Definitive treatment second.
Before we ablate, we confirm. You receive one or two diagnostic medial branch blocks with local anesthetic. If those temporary blocks produce a strong, reproducible reduction in your pain, we know the facet joints are the generator and RFA is appropriate. The ablation itself is an outpatient procedure: under fluoroscopic guidance, we position insulated probes against each target nerve, deliver a small test current to verify safe placement, and apply radiofrequency energy for sixty to ninety seconds per level. Most patients are home within an hour and a half of arrival.
Best for confirmed facet-mediated axial pain.
RFA is the right tool for axial neck or low-back pain that worsens with extension and rotation, has been confirmed as facet-mediated by diagnostic blocks, and has not responded to physical therapy and injections alone. It is also useful for sacroiliac joint pain, certain peripheral joints (knee genicular nerves, shoulder), and select headache patterns. It is not the answer for radicular pain or for pain coming from the disc itself.
Pain relief builds over two to three weeks.
You may feel mild soreness at the procedure site for several days. Pain relief is rarely immediate — the nerves take a week or two to fully stop transmitting. Most patients report meaningful, durable relief lasting six to eighteen months. We re-treat when symptoms return, typically once per year. RFA pairs well with a focused strengthening program, and the window of relief is when most patients make the most progress with rehab.
Stop accepting the downtime.
Radiofrequency ablation gives a year of your life back, at a time. Schedule a consultation at any Triumph location.