Peripheral Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

What is Peripheral Nerve RFA?

The Benefits of Peripheral Nerve RFA

While medications and steroid injections provide temporary symptom relief, peripheral nerve RFA works at the source, blocking pain for 6-18 months and sometimes longer without the side effects or risks associated with long-term drug use.

Some other beneficial factors of this procedure include:

• Minimally invasive: No incisions or surgery required
• Long-lasting relief: Pain reduction can last up to one to two years or longer
• Reduces dependency on medications: Minimizes the need for opioids, anti-inflammatory, and steroid drugs
• Quick recovery time: Most patients resume normal activities within a few days
• Targets specific pain areas: Provides pain relief in the sensory nerves surrounding the joints and in other specific peripheral nerves without affecting surrounding tissues
• It can delay or prevent surgery: It can help manage pain effectively, potentially postponing the need for joint replacement
• Safe and repeatable: Can be performed again if pain returns over time
• Improves mobility and function: Helps patients regain movement and engage in daily activities with less discomfort

Conditions Commonly Treated by Peripheral Nerve RFA

Several conditions are commonly treated by peripheral nerve RFA, particularly those that have not responded to more traditional pain management treatments. Some of the most common conditions treated with peripheral RFA are: 

• Joint pain
• Knee pain after knee replacement or from arthritis
• Shoulder pain
• Hip pain from arthritis
• Occipital neuralgia  
• Neuropathic pain in the arms, legs, or torso
• Post-surgical or post-traumatic nerve pain
• Pain from peripheral nerve entrapment (e.g., in the lower abdomen/groin)
• Phantom limb pain following amputation
• Post-herpetic neuralgia (nerve pain following shingles)

What to Expect During Peripheral Nerve RFA

Before the procedure, a diagnostic nerve block should be performed. If the pain is nearly or all the way gone after this block, this demonstrates that the patient’s pain is localized to a specific sensory nerve.

Then, during the procedure, the treatment area is numbed with a local anesthetic to ensure patient comfort. Mild sedation may also be used. Then, using real-time fluoroscopic (X-ray) or ultrasound guidance, the physician precisely inserts a thin needle near the affected nerve’s tissue. A small electrode then delivers radiofrequency energy, generating controlled heat that disrupts the nerve’s ability to send pain signals to the brain. The whole procedure typically takes less than an hour to complete. 

Patients may feel slight pressure or warmth during the procedure, but discomfort is usually minimal. After the treatment, a short observation period ensures no immediate side effects, and patients can return home the same day.

Peripheral Nerve RFA Recovery

Most patients experience mild soreness, swelling, numbness, tingling, or stiffness at the treatment site immediately following peripheral nerve RFA treatment. However, this response is normal and typically subsides within a few days. 

Over-the-counter pain relievers and ice packs can help alleviate any initial discomfort. Since peripheral nerve RFA is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, patients can go home the same day and resume light activities within 24 to 48 hours. 

It’s important to note that pain relief does not occur immediately—it can take up to four weeks for the full effects to set in as the targeted nerves gradually lose their ability to transmit pain signals. Over the next 6-18 months and sometimes beyond, patients may notice improvement in mobility and function.

Who is a Candidate?

Not everyone is a good candidate for peripheral nerve RFA, as this treatment is most effective for patients with arthritis, pain caused by nerve-related conditions, or post-surgery or trauma pain.

A person may be a candidate for peripheral nerve RFA treatment if the following factors apply: 

• Chronic joint pain: Persistent pain in the knees, hips, shoulders, or other joints lasting three months or longer
• Have chronic, localized nerve pain: Persistent pain that hasn’t responded well to conservative treatments like medications, physical therapy, or injections
• Can identify a specific peripheral nerve: Good candidates can pinpoint the source of pain to a particular nerve
• Confirmed diagnosis: Imaging (e.g., MRI, X-ray) shows arthritis, joint degeneration, or other nerve pain-related conditions
• Successful diagnostic nerve block: Patients who experience temporary pain relief from a test nerve block are more likely to benefit from peripheral nerve RFA
• Ineffective response to other treatments: Conservative treatments like physical therapy, medication, or injections have failed to provide lasting relief
• Good overall health: No active infections, uncontrolled diabetes, bleeding disorders, or implanted electronic devices that could interfere with the procedure
• Seeking a non-surgical solution: Ideal for those looking to avoid or delay surgery, such as joint replacement

Ultimately, our board-certified physiatrists will assess each patient’s condition, symptoms, and response to diagnostic nerve blocks before recommending peripheral nerve RFA.

Get Long-Lasting Relief From Pain

Persistent joint and nerve pain shouldn’t be something just to accept and live with. With proper treatment, peripheral nerve RFA or another form of non-surgical pain relief, our team of expert pain specialists will ensure you get the personalized treatment plan appropriate for your specific condition and needs.

Take the next step today by scheduling an appointment at one of our six convenient locations. Together, we’ll help get you moving and enjoying life again, free of pain.