My wife has had this procedure done on both cervical and lumbar regions bilateral. She is going in for her 13th time and she will continue because she said that it truly works.
Wow 13 times. How long do they leave in between each time. Where do you live. I'm In the UK and they said it has to be 2 years in between each visit. I have both sides done at same time but only had it done twice.
Got an rfa done in my facet joints near lumbar spine i dont feel pain in my hips anymore but still have back pain (other injuries) my doc said they can do more sessions 8 to 12 months out usually but ask your doctor. I also did cortizone injections as well that helped with the inflamation and some pain those you can get done every 3 to 6 months.
i had ny lower rt side (back) done yesterday. they need you awake to give them feedback, to make sure they are getting the correct spots (that experience pain) and to make sure they aren't hitting the wrong nerves that go down your legs. after they identify everything, they give you a bit more anesthesia so you wont feel the heat of the needle. my advice is to find a good doctor. you will feel some discomfort during and maybe some pain, but its really miniscule overall. all in all it takes about 20 minutes start to finish. hope this helps someone
willc32917 I've been having these done for the past 10 yrs...and my Dr ALWAYS SEDATES (THANK GOD!!)But it's CONCIOUS sedation so he gets his answers and we don't remember a thing!
I'm having this done on Tuesday & I'm honestly terrified. The doctor I have I feel rushes too much & is stingy with the numbing medication. I agree on a good doctor. Finding one is the hard part
@liliamartinez1625 interesting, because you are supposed to feel something during, otherwise they really can't confirm the exact nerve that is causing the pain
I had this done to me 5 years ago and my back feels like a 18 years old's back and I am 72. I should have done this 20 years ago. I wasted so much time being afraid for doctors. THIS WORKS!!!
Had six of these catheters sticking out of my back for the diagnostic block. Thanks to my fabulous Doctor for making it as pain free as possible! It sure ain’t no picnic as you feel a lot of pressure but very little pain after they get you numbed up. Had two spinal epidurals previously and this was a lot less painful IMHO.
I've had my left side done three times as of today and getting the right done again next month. This procedure has been a total life savor for me because I have so many things wrong with my back.
I'm having nerve ablation in three weeks. What can I expect? Do they sedate you at the beginning. I had nerve block and the numbing medicine help for about 3 hours and then came back. I have had this done twice. Now nerve ablation.
I had the Radio frequency ablation done on both side of my cervical vertebrae, several years ago. I am happy to report that it was like someone turned off a light switch with the pain. It definitely was sore in the area because of this procedure, however, the chronic pain was suddenly GONE! I had to have the right side repeated, because those pesky nerves grew back all cattywampus, and after the procedure was done again, same results. The first procedures were done in 2010, and repeated on the right side in 2017, left side still has no issues. This immediate relief comes because the nerve(s) are cut, so they can’t transmit the signals to the spinal cord. Now, I can’t wait for the RFA to be performed on my lumbar vertebrae, I had good response with the test nerve block, and just really looking forward to that “switch” being turned off again!
@@lemonbade Yes, I had two nerve blocks in the areas that had the problems. The nerve block acts as a test run and is temporary. Also, it is a requirement from my insurance provider.
Thank you for the video, m getting this procedure don’t in a few weeks after 4 year of chronic pain. I can’t wait. I think I will cry with happiness if my pain can be relieved.
I have also had both sides done in my lower back. My left is worse then right, but wow. I was shocked how it helped. I do need to get my left re done but definitely worth it. Helps when you have a great dr
+April S thanks for your comments- yes they really do help people and have been doing so for years-- invented in 1974! this is an old procedure that works very well- amazing that it remains considered as a new procedure, and that it is considered "experimental!" amazing hundreds of thousands have been performed safely and with sucess.
+Anodyne Research wow I didn't know they have been around that long. I will continue to have mine done. It's nice to be able to move and do the stuff I enjoy without all the pain from my back 😊. Happy holidays to you &a yours
Jeff Sartain Glad it worked for you. I had the RFA on my lumbar spine, 3 on each side, on 9/25. I had relief for about 11 days and now I am in pain again. Wondering if it failed on me.
I will be having this done. The diagnostic nerve block was successful and I’m looking forward to pain reduction. My spine is fused T4-L5 from scoliosis, so I have arthritis in my facet joints of the non fused vertebrae.
Hope you had partial sedation with an IV with pain medicine. I did and didn’t feel a thing. But without it I would never have had it done because I’ve been through too many painful injections and demanded it
I had a medial branch block a couple years ago without sedation it hurt so bad I swear I would never have another one just terribly painful felt like they had a knife with a sledgehammer going in my back. After that my doctor said we'll take sedation and so that's how I take them now.
getting mine done tomorrow. I had my diagnostic test. I had instant relief with the diagnostic test for abut 12 hrs. looking forward to getting the procedure done.
I've had six rfs done to L4 through S1 bilaterally. I have had some degree of relief with all of them but for one I had TOTAL relief, 0/10 on the pain scale. I ponder two things: why do some work better than others if the nerve is ablated? You'd think that with denervation, there'd be no pain. The second question is why can't there be permanent type of this procedure, like a surgery to remove the nerve or something like that? I know what nerves are the problem and the rhizotomy works but the nerves recover and my pain returns gradually starting about four months out. Insurance only covers it every six months. Thanks for the demonstration.
Why isn’t it possible to sever the nerve completely? Had this done in my lumbar spine in September. Now the pain is back again like before. My recovery took 8 weeks so was it worth it for a max 3 month period?
Recently moved and visited a rural hospital yesterday that told me their pain clinic had a young nurse anesthesic that did the medial branch block faucet joint injections and oblations. They offered full sedation too, which worried me based on last review of comments.
Anodyne Research I'm having my nerves burned..they are sedation. me and I have small tear in my low back three herniated disc..what should I ask how much pain will I be in
Kim McGrantham it's his gf..I had it done..I'm in bad shape but we are all different..I have three disc problems..if u have nerve problems try it and make sure he good doc
HI (gf) thank you for responding :) I was actually just curious..I have been dealing with arthritis, pain management, injections, & ablations for almost 10 yrs now. Im seeing also that its different for everyone, but for most, ablations are a godsend. I was first put on 2 or 3 different nerve medicines but none worked (I think my insurance required to try that first) but eventually I went to injection.but now have ospeopenia, and then/now ablations (see my above comments) No matter the cause though, it totally SUCKS to be in this kind of pain. Especially at a young(ish) age. I am now 48 but was about 38 when the pain started. Best of luck to both of you... and its a good thing you guys are both going thru it together because I was in a pretty decent relationship until my pain started and he copped an attitude when I started being prescribed pain meds.even tho I have always taken them responsibly..only as prescribed as my pm dr actually counts pills and does a urine screen each month..and has ZERO TOLERANCE...as he should. At least you guys are understanding of one another
Great video. I had diagnostic facet joint injections today, so far so good. I have a LSTV with Lumbarised S1, facet joint arthritis and two far lateral herniations L4&5. So far so good the lidocaine has helped numb most of it up. Hoping i will be getting this done next instead of a fusion
@@rikidd77 Sure.. I had mine done and it helped enormously.. it lasted about 9 month. I am booked in for another round in a couple of weeks. It was painless. I had mine done in the CT scanner.. they give you a pain relief injection first so you cant feel it.. the only sensation i got was when the stuff was being injected in, which didnt hurt just felt a bit of pressure. I felt marvellous as soon as i got off the table. Was a but sore next day and had some skin bruising, but it was so worth it to be able to lie on my back without pain in well over a decade!!
@@bondgirl66007 well thank you!! I'm not sure my doc will allow me to have that procedure done with his approval. I do appreciate you getting back to me
I am having this done in a few weeks. can't wait. I am do tired of pain and muscle spasms. I am narcotic sensitive so can only take Tramadol which doesn't do much.
I had it done yesterday and I thought I was about to die! I yelled so loud! It burned like hell for about 30 secs then started easing up. I told the Dr I was feeling the burning in my hip, butt and down my leg but he kept going. I'm still feeling the sensation in my hip and butt. I pray it was done right😪
Usually it’s essentially painless. Done correctly. Not good to feel the pain or sensation down the leg. If you feel that, make the doctor stop. I hope you feel better. The best of luck. PM
I felt the same pain. After the ablation, my right buttocks and upper leg have pins and needles and pain. And...they didn't put the grounding pads on properly and I got a nasty third-degree burn on my calf. Not a good procedure for me. I hope you get the benefits and feel better
I had the left side done about 2 1/2 weeks ago. And the right side on Tuesday. I was told I’d start feeling relief in about a week. But full relief by 6 weeks. My test shots worked really good. So I’m hoping for good things. I had 4 on each side. Good luck to us all.
Thank you so much , I will leave a review of my procedure later on this month as to whether it help or not.. I also will be sure to tell him hello for you. Happy Memorial Day!!
I've had this done after breaking my back in 3 places. It set up arthritis bad in my lower back. Mine has lasted about a year, fixing to have it done again
I am going to have this procedure done soon and am very grateful for this video. However, I can observe the procedure, but would appreciate more explanation, for example, what is happening when the black needle is left in his back. Is this the electrical charge or the cauterizing? More information would be helpful and reassuring.
i had this procedure done here in Ireland such a relief from pain i have had for years but i had it done three times to block pain ,, i was advised it cannot be done under general anaesthetic i can see & hear why now
I had this procedure performed at the V.A. Hospital in Little Rock Arkansas. I had it performed on my back, right side, L-3, L-4, and L-5. When, they turned on the electricity, my legs flopped around like crazy! It was the most intense pain I have ever encountered!!!!!!! It was worse than getting shot with an AK-47. Seeing this, I must of had a horrible Doctor. I almost passed out from the pain! I would never have this performed again at the V.A. After a few months my lower back pain was reduced by maybe 10%. Not at all worth the pain of the procedure!!!
I had A test done yesterday to see if this was a procedure for me, I am amazed I am feeling no pain today. For a few hours yesterday though my right leg was extremely weak and I could not go up the steps, of course before I realized it I slowly went down to my knees luckily my husband was holding my hands, today my leg is fine, I can hardly wait to get this procedure done in three weeks. But I have a question if anyone had any weakness in their leg afterwards, And hopefully it was not permanent. Please let me know about your experience
Mrs E. The numbness in the leg, or weakness indicates that the test medicine flowed forward (anterior to) the location of the test nerve that goes to the facet joint. This finding has several implications: 1) some of your pain (and thus relief given by the test injection) might be coming from adjacent structures to the facet joint. 2) talk to your treating physician about this finding. 3) while the numbing test medicine is temporary, the ablation can have long term effects, you don’t want leg numbness or weakness to be one of them. Make sure your physician is very careful, taking lateral imaging etc during the ablation. I’ve had hundreds of incidents like this with leg weakness or numbness after the test, luckily never after the ablation. But I’ve done tens of thousands, I remain overly cautious, never sedating the patient, always testing and imaging at each level. You’ve likely got a great, and safe doctor, but still discuss your findings with him or her. Measure twice. Cut once. The very best of luck. PM.
I had a Failed Back Surgery in 2014 & Now a Lot of sciatic Pain Down the legs & Feet MRI showed a lot of Arthritis in my Lower Back Going to do just Facet Joint Block first in a week or so Then If all goes well next will be the Radio Frequency Ablation etc. I asked my Dr about a Spinal Cord Stimulator , ? But he want to try these procedures First.
How come you're not using conscious sedation this is the first time I've seen this procedure without it. There's no way I would even have injections done without sedation
For 99% of people it is not necessary. It doesn't hurt that much. It also increases risk significantly without patient feedback. Iv'e done well over 10,000 without sedation. Everyone is different, but for the gross majority they really don't need it. Some may be a bit more sensitive and so for those folks we do give it.
Anodyne Research it doesn't hurt that much???? Have you had them done. it was a nightmare. after nine spine surgeries I will never have anything done without concious sedation.
havbe you ever had it done to YOU without sedation, I can tell you it does hurt and is super stressful if not traumatic. ive had it several times without sedation becasue they did not offer sedation at the VA medical center.
I have not had sedation. I have fibromyalgia and Everytime I have this done it is felt in my entire body. omg the pain is like someone literally plucking your last nerve!! So far I have had lower spine left and right done on today my left side of my neck. High normally have a high pain tolerance. My hysterectomy recovery was less painful. But OMG I am slowly getting my life back so it's totally worth it!!
Good video, I am having RFA done next week on cervical facet joints and I'm trying to gather as much info as I can, so I'll know what to expect. I've tried acupuncture, massage therapy, physical therapy, CBD, lidocaine cream, steroid injections, nothing is effective for very long. I like that RFA can be helpful for a year or more.
@briancooper2112 JESUS!! See spackeling over a hole!!! I am so tired of the pain I literally am so embarrassed I have either almost peed or have on my self and the pain of even reaching to touching my toes is bad. Can barely stand or do anything . Life is 24/7 pain. I bought a expensive bed nothing!!
@@moonlight02161I've had this procedure done several times already and also lumbar steroid infection too. I also bought a sleep number bed and I'm still in lots of pain. It's all cause by a year of chemotherapy to keep my leukemia at bay while I waited for my stem cell transplant. I have very bad days with pain and the treatments are short lived but almost worth it even for a little relief..
Hi! I'm trying to research RFA for my chronic lower back pain. I live in Charlotte NC and I'm wondering if you can tell me what type of physicians do this procedure and what the general average cost is without health insurance. Do you know if Care Credit is accepted for this procedure and if you must undergo some kind of "block" procedure prior to being qualified for RFA . I've never had an injection/block of any kind in my lower spine other than an epidural for labor 21 years ago but I believe I heard something about needing to have that done first? I appreciate any information you can share on this. Thank you!
I just had my first diagnostic block yesterday with 100% relief within 90 minutes. I was elated! I could walk without pain for the first time in 15 years (I'm too young for this. lol). So, if in understanding my doctor correctly, and from your discussion with Bond, James Bond, only one side will be done at a time? What is the purpose of having each side done in separate procedures? Great video, by the way. I'm soo looking forward to my procedure. Not really the second diagnostic block, however, as the pain came back with a vengeance as I hadn't taken my pain meds, and I got physically ill from the sudden onset of pain.
Trisia44, I wish you the best of luck with the nerve ablation! I was so hopeful and optimistic when I had it done because I had great results with my last two SI injections. Unfortunately, it hasn't helped me at all. I'm hoping to have it done again with a possible increase in the frequency. Waiting on a response to my earlier post from the Dr. Maybe he can give me some insight as to my options.
Michelle L, I'm so sorry to hear that. I sure do hope I have good results because I was so excited when my doctor suggested it. It sounded like a light at the end of this excruciating tunnel. We shouldn't have to be in so much pain! I hope your next session has better results. And I'm so glad you said something because I'll know to ask him about the strength of the frequency.
I have had many abortions from cervical to S1 at different times and get TREMENDOUS relief. I have always refused sedation, which they offered, I just felt better having my senses aware. 3 months ago, had a Spinal Cord Simulator implanted and have had amazing results. Will continue the abortions for my cervical and thoracic area. I may even have some actual Pain Free days ahead.
How can the patient be so calm?? I did the diagnosis test and it was the worst thing i have done in my life. 5 injections and i screamed right out and flopped my legs for every injection. It felt like someone stabbed me with a knife in my spine. The pain was just out of the scale!
I tell some good stories to keep everyone's mind off the injection. And I buffer the local anesthetic so it doesn't burn, and I numb all the layers of fascia on the way down.
@@sandravaldez-armstrong4054 Luckily, the pain caused by the injections went away pretty quickly afterwards. However, in my case, this procedure did not help with my back pain. After more diagnostic procedures we have found out its the disc that causes my pain, and im now scheduled for a endoscopic discectomy, after 2 years of back pain caused by a sports injury. But i wish you good luck and hope this will help you, cause in many cases it helps i've heard!
I had a failed Back surgery 3 yrs ago.? And now still have bad pain unable to walk without a cane.? I am set up for an MRI.? so i can have this procedure done, Hopefully it helps me to be pain free & walk normally again.? You seem like a DR. who knows what he is doing with this procedures. Thanks for sharing this video
+A REDTAIL Your ability to find success with this procedure after a back surgery depends on whether or not the facet joints are causing your pain. A facet joint nerve block-the diagnostic phase of the procedure Will let your physician know (and you as well) whether or not you will get relief with the ablation with the best prognostic value available. Good Luck! PM
15 years ago I had spinal fusion.... what a horrible mistake that was. I spent 6 weeks in a rehab facility, 3 months in a hospital bed at home and a full year (plus) in physical therapy. I had dropped foot syndrome and it left me completely incontinent. My incision was from my bra line to the crack of my butt. I still have plenty of back pain. This wasn’t available, and gosh, I wish it had been.
Melissa Coleman I've had MBB bilaterally several times, as well as steroid injects several times before the MBBs. I've recently had a bilateral rhizotomy January 27, 2017. All procedures focused on my L4/L5/S1 region. I have been diagnosed with the common medical codes for osteoarthritis, spongelosis, disc degeneration in those areas. I still live with pain in the S1 down to my tail bone and radiates in my hip joints along with rear end muscle pain. I've been going to Southeastern Spine institution since October 2016 and only reaching 60% improvement. I feel like there are no other options for my pain. My recheck visit is March 2017 and I have a feeling that nothing else will be done. To add, I do not nor have I been prescribed pain meds. I just want relief. Thanks for video.
I went as long as I could without pain meds (about 10 yrs) but i had no choice..the pain in y neck was so bad I would have opted to have my heard cut off if it werent for pain meds. I was just recently DX with Seronegative RA, but have had some type of OA for 10 yrs. I have had numerous injections, then ablations L2-7 bilaterally, both SI Joints, & both hips. I also have it in the base of my thumbs (cmc joint) but I refuse those injections as they wont sedate for it. hey have also taken fluid from my hip joint which was WITHOUT sedation and I screamed & cried the entire time! Giving birth hurt less than that!! Ive just started on Methotrexate w/folic acid.. you should check it out online and maybe discuss it with your Dr. Fingers crossed i willl eventually find relief in this med or a biologic....if not, then its off to see a neurosurgeon. Good luck hun.... Sounds like we have alot in common, if u ever wanna chat pls feel free :)
Also he mentioned a possible side effect that the outer layer of the covering of the spinal cord could get torn that however it's usually only in about 4 percent of the cases and they would know about it right away in which case I would have to lay perfectly flat for 20 hours? This to prevent a severe headache but with no lasting effects beyond that. Your take on this if you don't mind. Thanks
+sharon smith We've done nearly 20,000 in our institute. we've had one complication: a lady has minimal bleeding that stopped in a day. No weakness, no paralysis, no neurologic injuries. If your doctor thinks he might put the needle in the spinal cord: go to another doctor!! Fast.
Trish 38, kind of a long story but in a nutshell I had a fusion of my L4 and L5 in may 2014, it actually took care of my severe, chronic right side Lumbar pain. unfortunately after about 18 months my left side progressively has become extremely painful, walking, sitting bending just about everything I do. I'm on 600 MG of gabipentin 3 times a day along with 750 MG of chlorzoxazone 3 times a day and fenoprofen, it helps but I'm still in chronic pain. July of this year 2016 I did my first RFA on my left side I had a slight improvement such as getting out of bed or standing up from a bent position I don't struggle as badly to get to an upright position. I had my follow up apt this morning from having the RFA done on my right side and it's been suggested I have the sacroiliac joint injection RFA done now since my pain is mainly in the very low left Lumbar/buttox area, I can literally force my left leg to go numb simply with a position change of my hips and legs. I'm wondering if it is worth it to keep going and trying the RFA? I had a bad experience with my original surgeon for my fusion, I was never given any of the options such as RFA or a spinal stimulator before going the fusion route. I should have known to get a second opinion but I was in so much pain I just wanted relief and after the epidural injections didn't work for me I thought that was my last hope. I'd like your thoughts on the stimulator as well, I was told it has more success in people with leg and hip pain, I don't have leg pain but leg numbness although I do have hip pain and pain right in the center of my buttox. any advice is much appreciated!
Not sure what your cause of pain is or why they havent given you pain meds instead of nerve pain med, but for me, I have OA & seronegative RA...also in both SI joints, hips, hands; neck, & feet! ( too long to explain but pls see my previous comments for further info) Anyway the SO joint ablations work great on me, but my insurance is now denying claims to have it done :( IM fighting it, but its rediculous. I am taking 10 mg Narco 4xday, along with a 72 hour pain patch (25mcg fentanyl) which Ive been on over a yr without increasing..but I continue geting ablations as they give me the best possible pain relief...my pain mngt dr thinks I will need to see a neuro surgeon pretty soon, but MANNNN am I seriously scared of neurosurgery! When my SI Joint pain got way out of control last yr, is when he prescribed my patch... It took SIXTEEN HOURS for that 1st patch to kick in, but when it did O M G!! I kept making my daughter unwillingly watch me QUICKLY & EFFORTLESSLY get in and out of my car over & over lol... talk about heaven! I have since had another med added into the mix: Methotrexate 1x a week with folic acid daily. (trust me I have measured the good/vs bad,and the benefits do outweigh the bad side effects! Not to mention I never even got any nausea or any other symptoms..so far...knock on wood
@@jade8568_VR how are you feeling now looking for some relief with my back as well. Previously had back surgery but doc wants to go back in and fuse.... Hellllllll nooooo!
@@jade8568_VR how are you feeling now looking for some relief with my back as well. Previously had back surgery but doc wants to go back in and fuse.... Hellllllll nooooo!
I wish this doctor had actually told us when the burn was occurring and for how many seconds and temperature .... I've had it done twice both sides 6 altogether. First time had to be a placement issue, the pain and stiffness didn't get better or worse. I just had it done 2 weeks ago, different doctor, and it was a different experience, when it was done, I was sore. Not immediately, because I was numbed up, but the following week was weird dull pain, sore from the procedure, light burning sensation.... The third week I'm starting to notice improvement standing and walking. Not complete relief, but much more tolerable, and as the scarring develops, I'm hoping for more pain relief .... Keeping my fingers crossed.
Going for second RAFs will do bilateral this time. The difference is night and day in ability to function normally, walking, standing, getting up out of chairs, stairs and a month after that, THR.
So what if you have selective nerve root block for L5 for severe sciatic pain, and you need medial branch block and ablation for lower back pain. I am in pain daily.
it went good i was pain free but I'm having to go back for an e.s.i.workers comp didn't want to pay for a fusion in my l5s1so it feels like I'm almost back at 1
I am curious as to why some doctors perform these procedures in a hospital (both steroid injections as well as ablation) while other pain management clinics do them in an office setting? Should I stay away from the office type settings? Lastly, each block I have had done has been done by an anesthesiologist, is there is reason for this over other doctor types performing these?
Insurance doesn't pay for hospitals anymore. In office as long as they have x Ray . Yes anesthesiologist do the most. I had in hospital years ago, it was horrible they demanded anesthesia, in office nothing. Doctor ( anestheologist) told me more danger in anesthesia then injection.
My question is is why was ninety-nine percent of the video done so well and in detail. Soon as you move the electrical probe over to the lower back and he had a sensation in his buttocks you took the probe off and cuts off the video. Did you have it in the wrong spot?
Do u always get a local..my bk abd neck were done in 2019 they some what put me to sleep and this time in a different state, they gave me nothing but numbing stuff and i felt everything, i screamed i cried, im also bpd, bipolar and ptsd, veteran...why ...took for ever to feel better ..pain is getting better but why didnt they make sure i wasnt in pain.
Yes. We always use local. If there is an allergy to one, we use a different type. Not all physicians, sadly, are adept at always putting the local, and enough of it, in the right place, or even more importantly waiting for it to have effect!But using general anesthesia or moderate sedation simply increases the risk of the procedure. Sometimes needlessly.
I had this done bout 2 months ago in my neck bilateral. it has really help alot on my neck pain. I can say about 65% improvement. almost 70. but what I have or what I'm experience right now are some sharp pin neddle pain stinks come and go on my neck, I wonder if this go away ?
Su Amigo El Ilegal great question. Not uncommon, especially in smaller patients. The sensory nerve to the skin can be close to the nerve to the joint, I’ve never had it NOT resolve.
I'm having this done next month (July 2021). I am fully awake for steroid facet injections and will get sedation for this. Can you tell me how much more painful this procedure is?
it's honestly not bad. I am not really a fan of needles and my doctor was very gentle and he told me everything that he was doing so there weren't any surprises. While there were moments when I was in pain, they didn't last long. And also the pain relief was much greater than the few moments of pain. Definitely worth it!!
Thank you so much for the information.. My pain clinic is Mays & Schnapps here in Tennessee.. My doctors Dr. Schnapps also performed surgery on the NBA player Grizzly Mike Conely face during his injury last year. My doctor and Mike were on the t.v. FOX 13discussing his surgery which was successful.. Dr. Schnapps is so awesome at his job.. I'm praying this block will help me a great deal.
Question, I just had this done yesterday and i feel like he was actually slamming his hands in me. Not all gentle like you are doing. And now today i feel extremely sore.
I'm trying to get the same treatment so I'm at IME doctors appointment so she can approve the procedure 🤞 workers comp. So often times it takes along time for some procedures. My hopes are moderate but if the treatment is dined then I will have to have permanent work restrictions and that will be a mitigating factor on there end. My MRI came clear .
Dr. McRoberts: I found this very fascinating and found you very interesting.. I always see these surgical fluoroscopes in use, and while its a limited dose, I would be a bit worried (for you) over the accumulated x-ray dose with the amount of surgeries you do.. It looks like it's not run in real-time, but still.. 100KeV+ x-rays ..
I had this done a couple years ago at the University of Denver Colorado. It was an absolute nightmare. They didn't sedate me at all. And it was like being burned alive from the inside out. I remember that she told me it be 40 seconds and daring that 40 seconds it burns so bad. I'll never have that done again. It didn't even help that much. She said she did both sides. The first side took a long time the second time was like 2 seconds thank you said she was done I don't think she would did the second one. I'll never have that done again. I'm doing the implant thing right now it seems to work pretty good. Maybe I had a bad doctor I don't know.
Do they make you sick do they hurt is it like an epidural I have the epidural last year to make me sick I ended up in the hospital for 3 days last year from the epidural
Hello I have had three nerves blocks since October 2015 until now May 2016. I have arthritis in my lower lumbar l4 and l5 disc. I had a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2011. so I have been taking prednisone for 5 years now. I have gained about 90 pounds since then. My pain clinic doctor has scheduled me a radio frenquency ablation in June. My question is will what type of numbing medication will be given and will I be sleepy afterward? Also , why did my doctor have to keep performaning test blocks for this incoming ablation??
Both are great questions give that. It's a generally because insurance requires us to do the blocks. The blocks prognosticate or predict how well the ablation will work and if you had immediate relief with those blocks then most likely the ablation will be successful. The more blocks you have with immediate success again the more likely the ablations will be. The problem is of course inconvenience of, and small amount of pain associated with the blocks and of course insurance companies don't seem to mind that. The type of numbing medicine we will use is either lidocaine or marcaine both of which provide good local anesthesia so it is very comfortable. In terms of making you sleepy some doctors prefer to use a bit of sedation during the procedure. We have found that most people do not need it and thus recover very quickly. Best of luck. By the way who is your doctor? Porter McRoberts
I'm disabled 39 live in chronicpain I've had a RFA done on my neck and 3 times on lower back just had it done at 7 am if this doesn't work Alift spinal fusion surgery next I've already had emergency back surgery 11/1/2016
Hello I had my radiofrequency ablation today. I was sedated and had a gas mask given to me. Dr. Schnapps had a partner to come in help him. I felt the nurse roll up my right pants let , I think to put a patch there . Well that being said I am in so discomfort tonight. I was told to make an appointment to go back to see him in twelve weeks.. i was told I could use a hot or cold towel. Is this normal to still be sure and when will the I see if the procedure worked or not??
I am trying to look up the procedure that my Surgeon wants to do. He showed me a replica of the spine with large (half the size of a pencil) large nerve running through ? Spine. The plan he said is to burn that nerve. This is because I have phantom pain that makes my T-9 , 10, and 11 create a lot of pain. We will get injections to confirm. But it is to stop my perception of my ribs feeling like they are broken. Pain is that bad. I did have Vertebralplasty a couple of months ago to stabilize compression fractures in those vertebra. Is this the same thing. He did say years ago they used to actually cut that nerve but it created a lot more problems.
By me watching this video it helped me out with my injection,now am having what called the facet joint nerves ablations so by watching this video I will not be so scared,thank you for getting me through this one of tests.
I've had the two medial branch blocks and are waiting until later in January to decide whether we do the ablation. My question is is there any research about long term damage to the nerve, which could eventually cause more problems? I just think of animals that regenerate limbs, they are never as strong as the original. I'm a bit paranoid.
I had RF Ablation performed on my right side. First, it did not help, but hurt like crazy! Second, I have nerve damage to my right hand. I drop a lot of things, like soda cans, small tools, forks, spoons, knives. Just my experience. I would not have it performed again.
Jackie Barker A nerve ablation is like a haircut for a nerve ending. They deaden just the tip of the nerve. Then in a few weeks it deadens & falls off. My pain goes away anywhere from 6 months to 2 yrs! when the pain comes back I go back in for another round. I thank God everyday for my dr..
Kim McGrantham I get rfas too & definitely get sedation, either Versed (called "milk of amnesia") or Propofol. I get less than a year of relief. I am in same situation you are. My pain started in my early 30's & I am 45 now. It would be so nice if nerves didn't regenerate then we would both have longer pain relief. L4, L5 & S1 is my main problem, but also have a broken tailbone.
@@jade8568_VR how much relief would you say you from the RFA? I'm looking to have this done to help me sever nerve pain. I have already had a far lateral microdiscectomy l4/l5 last year and I still am in lots of pain. No fusion!!!!!
Dear Doc. Just will be appreciated if you can tell if this thing can be done for people with Spinal Cord Injury or SC Tumor. I personally have a resected spinal cord tumor (ganglioglioma) did this technic can reduce to release low back pain. Another question we have to do it for life time or after 2 or 3 session pain will disappear. Thank you for your generosity to answer. Thanks
+Living in Pain 24/7 Good question. If you still have sensation to the facet joints then worth a try-- the facet joint nerve block is the best test. very best of luck. PM
Yes I have sensation 100% all over. But pain is there. I am not sure if what you are doing as ablation is same as Rhizothomy... My doctor said that rizothomy is useless for Me as spinal cord tumor resected patient... My pain is also in my legs , hips..... because the damage in the cord is big... Please advise..Thanks for your generosity to reply...
if you anesthetize the nerves (medial branch of the dorsal primary rami) and you feel relief as a test- then go for it- you have little to loose from trying. The very best of luck! PM
@@JRJStacks I did my left side last week and my right side a couple of days ago. Recovery wasn’t bad. I just felt a bit stiff but pain was minimal. I didn’t need any pain meds. So far… I feel ok… but let’s see what the next few weeks bring. ☺️
I just had my first block done and I was under complete anesthesia becuz I bleed easily and I'm extremely sensitive to pain. Not sure that was the best thing for me tho. I woke up completely off balance for hours
If a patient with nerve ablation have accidental injury in spinal cord above level of pain?? does he feel again a pain in the area of nerve ablation.. Very confused for getting accurate answer doctor... Please advise.. Thx
+Living in Pain 24/7 He may feel the pain where the ablation take place. But keep in mind this is not a big deal in 98% of cases. In the remaining 2% the pain is only moderate.
Anodyne Research... I'm having this procedure done in a few weeks. My understanding is they will do both sides together... Is this a reasonable possibility? Was Mr. Bond getting both sides that same time?
Liverpooloflife it depends honestly on your insurance. Which is super frustrating. There is no reason not to do them together except for a bit more soreness.
Generally there are two choices: an interventional physiatrist, such as myself or a fellowship trained anesthesiologist. As long as you have someone who is both fellowship trained and boarded in pain medicine by the ABMS (the American board of medical specialties) as well as their base training you’ll be in good hands. I don’t know any orthopedists who do this procedure. Make sure they’ve done it a lot. Well over 5000 times. It takes practice.
Had first trial, super painful L5 S1, bp shot up 200/100, I think I should have had more anesthesic. Great results, then tripped "hurrying" end of August and scrambled the pain free high of 30 days. Thinking to do second trial & oblation at larger facility. I couldn't recall how good it felt to have NO pain. Wish this had been recommended in 2015 by orthopedic MD instead of suffering 5 years.
Not quite as successful. But close. The nerves are slightly more variable in location and thus the success rate a bit lower. But not much. Worth a retry in a slightly different needle position if no success the first time. Best of luck.
Armand Tetreault The blocks do get less and less effective. If so move on to the ablation. Sadly the same can be seen with ablations over the years. This then requires larger lesions and different techniques.
My dr is planning on doing this to me but I am scared I have a lot of pain in my hip and right side of my back from hip to shoulder and my lower back constantly aches I do have degeneration disease in my lower spine my vertabraes are bone on bone!
I see folks saying they felt it. Lord I hope I dont. I go next month. My doctor said I would not feel it. How is recovery? He said recovery might be a bit painful? I go next month.
You might feel it. But I have done 10s of thousands, and way less than 0.1% complain about pain during the procedure. Why? I buffer the lidocaine so you really cant feel any burn. I wait for the lidocaine to work before I continue. As I pass the needle, certain anatomical planes are painful, like fascia, I numb those, others aren't, like fat, we pass right through those while chatting. And so we go together, I listening to you, listen too how you react, all the while chatting with you, hopefully about something you find interesting. And, soon enough were finished. It's over and your ok. You walk out with a sense of fullness in the back, no pain. As the numbing medicine wears off it feels like you slept in the wrong position. I does hurt some, but it is by no means intolerable. That feeling goes away usually within a few days to a week. For more than half, they report, really minimal to no pain after the procedure.
hey! I've had a whole bunch of these, some with iv sedation and some without-- the only thing you should feel during the procedure is just the little poke and sting from the numbing, if you still have pain or discomfort, you can tell your doctor and they can always give you more! One thing I didnt know about recovery that I wish someone told me, is that nerve regrowth/regeneration can be quite painful. I had very severe neuropathy after an ablation just because sometimes the nerves can get aggravated during the procedure. It eventually went away and I was completely fine!!
I've had facet blocks which didn't help. I had 3 separate sets of SI injections and the last two gave great results. The RFA was done on July 22, 2016. That evening and the next 2 days were pretty uncomfortable, but I had high hopes of long term relief. It's been a little over a month and I'm still experiencing the same pain I had before the procedure. Would it be possible to have it done a second time with results of relief or is this something I will have to live with? Any information would be GREATLY appreciated! It's good to see a doctor having communications with his patient, the one I was referred to by my neurosurgeon doesn't inform me of anything during any procedure. I feel like I'm part of an assembly line.
I don't even care that they numb you, the sheer fact that there are about to be 6 giant needles sticking out of my back is enough to make them put me out
I always thought the same, looks a bit gruesome! However, the most sensitive safety monitoring instrument in the room is the patient. It should be a pretty comfortable procedure. I've placed tens of thousands if not more than a hundred thousand needles in patients (including myself) over the years. There are only a few possibilities for significant pain: 1) the technique is poor: non-judicious, or impatient use of local anesthetic. 2) there is something wrong, and the pain is a telltale of tissue destruction that should NOT be occurring. 3) an extremely liable and emotional patient that need additional caretaking: of the neurologic region above the neck.
No sir. It won't. An epidural is the best way to go. Physical therapy too. Then, and while i rarely advocate spine surgery- the microdiscectoy without fusion is a very successful surgery 90% success. But see what you get with conservative care. Best of luck..PS if any nerve deficit, weakness etc see a surgeon quickly.
your Great Dr I have had injections in 2011 with my first sciatic problem and the injection s did nothing... I am in therapy now with oral naproxen and xtra strength Tylenol..its been 2 weeks now I just want relief...thank u for ur reply
I had this done with local pain mgt specialist , and it set back the progress I made doing a series of excercises by a factor of at least a year. Unfortunately I have not been able to bounce back from this incredibly painful procedure, however the doc had me bending my neck in such a way that I was in SEVERE pain from the moment it started. Had my neck bent in such a way that I almost passed out . The doc was on the telephone in the next room for several minutes while I remained in that position. Nothing like what you are showing here unfortunately.
My wife has had this procedure done on both cervical and lumbar regions bilateral. She is going in for her 13th time and she will continue because she said that it truly works.
Wow 13 times. How long do they leave in between each time. Where do you live.
I'm In the UK and they said it has to be 2 years in between each visit. I have both sides done at same time but only had it done twice.
Got an rfa done in my facet joints near lumbar spine i dont feel pain in my hips anymore but still have back pain (other injuries) my doc said they can do more sessions 8 to 12 months out usually but ask your doctor. I also did cortizone injections as well that helped with the inflamation and some pain those you can get done every 3 to 6 months.
Yes, it's like turning off a light switch of pain
Thank goodness for these doctors. So much better than open surgery.
I love how you talk to the patient and ask him how he felt afterwards. That helps ease my fears a bit. Great video. Thank you. 😊
I wouldn't mind him asking how I felt but I'd rather he stop talking about anything else. All that chatting would drive me crazy.
i had ny lower rt side (back) done yesterday. they need you awake to give them feedback, to make sure they are getting the correct spots (that experience pain) and to make sure they aren't hitting the wrong nerves that go down your legs. after they identify everything, they give you a bit more anesthesia so you wont feel the heat of the needle. my advice is to find a good doctor. you will feel some discomfort during and maybe some pain, but its really miniscule overall. all in all it takes about 20 minutes start to finish. hope this helps someone
willc32917 I've been having these done for the past 10 yrs...and my Dr ALWAYS SEDATES (THANK GOD!!)But it's CONCIOUS sedation so he gets his answers and we don't remember a thing!
I'm having this done on Tuesday & I'm honestly terrified. The doctor I have I feel rushes too much & is stingy with the numbing medication. I agree on a good doctor. Finding one is the hard part
I had that done. I didn't feel anything while it was performed. It just didn't work for me, I have the same pains or worst.
@liliamartinez1625 interesting, because you are supposed to feel something during, otherwise they really can't confirm the exact nerve that is causing the pain
I had this done to me 5 years ago and my back feels like a 18 years old's back and I am 72. I should have done this 20 years ago. I wasted so much time being afraid for doctors. THIS WORKS!!!
Had six of these catheters sticking out of my back for the diagnostic block. Thanks to my fabulous Doctor for making it as pain free as possible! It sure ain’t no picnic as you feel a lot of pressure but very little pain after they get you numbed up.
Had two spinal epidurals previously and this was a lot less painful IMHO.
Needles. Not catheters
I've had my left side done three times as of today and getting the right done again next month. This procedure has been a total life savor for me because I have so many things wrong with my back.
+Buffy Foster
I'm not at all surprised. Best of luck amigo.
PM
I'm having nerve ablation in three weeks. What can I expect? Do they sedate you at the beginning. I had nerve block and the numbing medicine help for about 3 hours and then came back. I have had this done twice. Now nerve ablation.
I recently assisted my first SNRB proceudure with our Spine Surgeon, It was astonishing. I am really eager to do by my self .❤❤❤❤❤
I had the Radio frequency ablation done on both side of my cervical vertebrae, several years ago. I am happy to report that it was like someone turned off a light switch with the pain. It definitely was sore in the area because of this procedure, however, the chronic pain was suddenly GONE! I had to have the right side repeated, because those pesky nerves grew back all cattywampus, and after the procedure was done again, same results. The first procedures were done in 2010, and repeated on the right side in 2017, left side still has no issues. This immediate relief comes because the nerve(s) are cut, so they can’t transmit the signals to the spinal cord. Now, I can’t wait for the RFA to be performed on my lumbar vertebrae, I had good response with the test nerve block, and just really looking forward to that “switch” being turned off again!
Have you had it done on your lumbar area yet? Eager to know whether it works!
@@lemonbade Yes, I have had it done. I the procedure went well and the results are also great.
@@neuterdude5932 that is great. Did you have a medial nerve block before having the radio frequency ablation?
@@lemonbade Yes, I had two nerve blocks in the areas that had the problems. The nerve block acts as a test run and is temporary. Also, it is a requirement from my insurance provider.
@@neuterdude5932 Interesting. How long did you get relief for after having the nerve block? Was it like 24 hours or something?!
Thank you for the video, m getting this procedure don’t in a few weeks after 4 year of chronic pain. I can’t wait. I think I will cry with happiness if my pain can be relieved.
Paul W best of luck! Please let us know you you do. How was the diagnostic facet joint nerve block?
Hi did it work
Having this done on Monday 🙏🏽. Thanks for the informative video.
I have also had both sides done in my lower back. My left is worse then right, but wow. I was shocked how it helped. I do need to get my left re done but definitely worth it. Helps when you have a great dr
+April S
thanks for your comments- yes they really do help people and have been doing so for years-- invented in 1974!
this is an old procedure that works very well- amazing that it remains considered as a new procedure, and that it is considered "experimental!" amazing hundreds of thousands have been performed safely and with sucess.
+Anodyne Research wow I didn't know they have been around that long. I will continue to have mine done. It's nice to be able to move and do the stuff I enjoy without all the pain from my back 😊. Happy holidays to you &a yours
Great video. I had radiofrequency done three times for facet pain. It really works and gives me lots of relief.
Jeff, How long did you have to wait between treatments?
+Michelle L. Last time it was 17 months. Before that about 24 months.
Jeff Sartain Glad it worked for you. I had the RFA on my lumbar spine, 3 on each side, on 9/25. I had relief for about 11 days and now I am in pain again. Wondering if it failed on me.
My dad had it done once and it lasted a year, then they gave him an epidural instead after that and he hasn’t had a problem since.
@@sartainja Hi Jeff...you did this for neck pain. I am planning to go for it for my neck pain.
I will be having this done. The diagnostic nerve block was successful and I’m looking forward to pain reduction. My spine is fused T4-L5 from scoliosis, so I have arthritis in my facet joints of the non fused vertebrae.
Hope you had partial sedation with an IV with pain medicine. I did and didn’t feel a thing. But without it I would never have had it done because I’ve been through too many painful injections and demanded it
I’m having this don’t next month. My surgeon is putting me under.
I had a medial branch block a couple years ago without sedation it hurt so bad I swear I would never have another one just terribly painful felt like they had a knife with a sledgehammer going in my back. After that my doctor said we'll take sedation and so that's how I take them now.
getting mine done tomorrow. I had my diagnostic test. I had instant relief with the diagnostic test for abut 12 hrs. looking forward to getting the procedure done.
How much more painfully was the operation over the diagnostic test? I'm having mine done next week and would like to know what to expect
I've had six rfs done to L4 through S1 bilaterally. I have had some degree of relief with all of them but for one I had TOTAL relief, 0/10 on the pain scale. I ponder two things: why do some work better than others if the nerve is ablated? You'd think that with denervation, there'd be no pain. The second question is why can't there be permanent type of this procedure, like a surgery to remove the nerve or something like that? I know what nerves are the problem and the rhizotomy works but the nerves recover and my pain returns gradually starting about four months out. Insurance only covers it every six months. Thanks for the demonstration.
Why isn’t it possible to sever the nerve completely? Had this done in my lumbar spine in September. Now the pain is back again like before. My recovery took 8 weeks so was it worth it for a max 3 month period?
Recently moved and visited a rural hospital yesterday that told me their pain clinic had a young nurse anesthesic that did the medial branch block faucet joint injections and oblations. They offered full sedation too, which worried me based on last review of comments.
Great doctor. He is nice and smart. I'd feel comfortable with him doing my ablation. It makes a big difference when the doc makes you feel cared for.
💯💯💯
I just had this done this morning. I feel a little sore but overall I feel good.
Best of Luck! I hope you have great success.
Anodyne Research I'm having my nerves burned..they are sedation. me and I have small tear in my low back three herniated disc..what should I ask how much pain will I be in
Robert Cicero how did it go? Ablations have been allowing me to have quality of life again!
Kim McGrantham it's his gf..I had it done..I'm in bad shape but we are all different..I have three disc problems..if u have nerve problems try it and make sure he good doc
HI (gf) thank you for responding :) I was actually just curious..I have been dealing with arthritis, pain management, injections, & ablations for almost 10 yrs now. Im seeing also that its different for everyone, but for most, ablations are a godsend. I was first put on 2 or 3 different nerve medicines but none worked (I think my insurance required to try that first) but eventually I went to injection.but now have ospeopenia, and then/now ablations (see my above comments) No matter the cause though, it totally SUCKS to be in this kind of pain. Especially at a young(ish) age. I am now 48 but was about 38 when the pain started. Best of luck to both of you... and its a good thing you guys are both going thru it together because I was in a pretty decent relationship until my pain started and he copped an attitude when I started being prescribed pain meds.even tho I have always taken them responsibly..only as prescribed as my pm dr actually counts pills and does a urine screen each month..and has ZERO TOLERANCE...as he should. At least you guys are understanding of one another
Great video. I had diagnostic facet joint injections today, so far so good. I have a LSTV with Lumbarised S1, facet joint arthritis and two far lateral herniations L4&5. So far so good the lidocaine has helped numb most of it up. Hoping i will be getting this done next instead of a fusion
I'm looking to have the same done soon. Can you help with a bit of advice and follow results?
@@rikidd77 Sure.. I had mine done and it helped enormously.. it lasted about 9 month. I am booked in for another round in a couple of weeks.
It was painless. I had mine done in the CT scanner.. they give you a pain relief injection first so you cant feel it.. the only sensation i got was when the stuff was being injected in, which didnt hurt just felt a bit of pressure. I felt marvellous as soon as i got off the table. Was a but sore next day and had some skin bruising, but it was so worth it to be able to lie on my back without pain in well over a decade!!
@@bondgirl66007 well thank you!! I'm not sure my doc will allow me to have that procedure done with his approval. I do appreciate you getting back to me
I am having this done in a few weeks. can't wait. I am do tired of pain and muscle spasms. I am narcotic sensitive so can only take Tramadol which doesn't do much.
I just had it done yesterday but I had General anesthesia, I was completely asleep, hopefully this works I don’t want the major surgery
What are the risk of having this done
I'm having this done tomorrow so I'm getting myself ready for it!!
How did it go, and how are you now?
I had it done yesterday and I thought I was about to die! I yelled so loud! It burned like hell for about 30 secs then started easing up. I told the Dr I was feeling the burning in my hip, butt and down my leg but he kept going. I'm still feeling the sensation in my hip and butt. I pray it was done right😪
Usually it’s essentially painless. Done correctly. Not good to feel the pain or sensation down the leg. If you feel that, make the doctor stop. I hope you feel better. The best of luck. PM
I felt the same pain. After the ablation, my right buttocks and upper leg have pins and needles and pain. And...they didn't put the grounding pads on properly and I got a nasty third-degree burn on my calf. Not a good procedure for me. I hope you get the benefits and feel better
Sounds like a bad Doctor. I’m having it done next week for the first time.
How are you feeling now. See that’s what I said that you do feel it.
@@kennywally Feeling better? How long did you put up with your leg issues?
A great pain management MD is a Godsend.
I’m having this done tomorrow and I’m really nervous. Please 🙏🏽 For me.
Me too. Tomorrow 😬
I had the left side done about 2 1/2 weeks ago. And the right side on Tuesday. I was told I’d start feeling relief in about a week. But full relief by 6 weeks. My test shots worked really good. So I’m hoping for good things. I had 4 on each side. Good luck to us all.
I had this done last week... worked a treat....
Where is Dr Mc Roberts Located,? I like his mannerism about him & he seems to know what he is doing fully.
MyREDTAIL hello Redtail! I am located in Fort Lauderdale. Best of luck.
Ty..i am considering the treatment. I petrified of needles. My lower back is horrible.
Thank you so much , I will leave a review of my procedure later on this month as to whether it help or not.. I also will be sure to tell him hello for you. Happy Memorial Day!!
How did it go? Have you left your review😊
I've had this done after breaking my back in 3 places. It set up arthritis bad in my lower back. Mine has lasted about a year, fixing to have it done again
I am going to have this procedure done soon and am very grateful for this video. However, I can observe the procedure, but would appreciate more explanation, for example, what is happening when the black needle is left in his back. Is this the electrical charge or the cauterizing? More information would be helpful and reassuring.
i had this procedure done here in Ireland such a relief from pain i have had for years but i had it done three times to block pain ,, i was advised it cannot be done under general anaesthetic i can see & hear why now
+Mary Forsey
YES -do it under local or at the most sedation.
General anesthesia is a bad idea.
best of luck MF
PM
I am so looking forward to my l4l5 ablation and hoping to not have to take pain pills anymore. My first branch block test worked great.
I had this procedure performed at the V.A. Hospital in Little Rock Arkansas. I had it performed on my back, right side, L-3, L-4, and L-5. When, they turned on the electricity, my legs flopped around like crazy! It was the most intense pain I have ever encountered!!!!!!! It was worse than getting shot with an AK-47. Seeing this, I must of had a horrible Doctor. I almost passed out from the pain! I would never have this performed again at the V.A. After a few months my lower back pain was reduced by maybe 10%. Not at all worth the pain of the procedure!!!
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I had that done and ultimately Ion facet fusion. The fusion helped a lot.
I had A test done yesterday to see if this was a procedure for me, I am amazed I am feeling no pain today. For a few hours yesterday though my right leg was extremely weak and I could not go up the steps, of course before I realized it I slowly went down to my knees luckily my husband was holding my hands, today my leg is fine, I can hardly wait to get this procedure done in three weeks. But I have a question if anyone had any weakness in their leg afterwards, And hopefully it was not permanent. Please let me know about your experience
Mrs E.
The numbness in the leg, or weakness indicates that the test medicine flowed forward (anterior to) the location of the test nerve that goes to the facet joint. This finding has several implications: 1) some of your pain (and thus relief given by the test injection) might be coming from adjacent structures to the facet joint. 2) talk to your treating physician about this finding. 3) while the numbing test medicine is temporary, the ablation can have long term effects, you don’t want leg numbness or weakness to be one of them. Make sure your physician is very careful, taking lateral imaging etc during the ablation. I’ve had hundreds of incidents like this with leg weakness or numbness after the test, luckily never after the ablation. But I’ve done tens of thousands, I remain overly cautious, never sedating the patient, always testing and imaging at each level. You’ve likely got a great, and safe doctor, but still discuss your findings with him or her. Measure twice. Cut once. The very best of luck. PM.
I had a Failed Back Surgery in 2014 & Now a Lot of sciatic Pain Down the legs & Feet MRI showed a lot of Arthritis in my Lower Back Going to do just Facet Joint Block first in a week or so Then If all goes well next will be the Radio Frequency Ablation etc. I asked my Dr about a Spinal Cord Stimulator , ? But he want to try these procedures First.
How come you're not using conscious sedation this is the first time I've seen this procedure without it. There's no way I would even have injections done without sedation
For 99% of people it is not necessary. It doesn't hurt that much. It also increases risk significantly without patient feedback. Iv'e done well over 10,000 without sedation. Everyone is different, but for the gross majority they really don't need it. Some may be a bit more sensitive and so for those folks we do give it.
Anodyne Research it doesn't hurt that much???? Have you had them done. it was a nightmare. after nine spine surgeries I will never have anything done without concious sedation.
havbe you ever had it done to YOU without sedation, I can tell you it does hurt and is super stressful if not traumatic. ive had it several times without sedation becasue they did not offer sedation at the VA medical center.
I have not had sedation. I have fibromyalgia and Everytime I have this done it is felt in my entire body. omg the pain is like someone literally plucking your last nerve!! So far I have had lower spine left and right done on today my left side of my neck. High normally have a high pain tolerance. My hysterectomy recovery was less painful. But OMG I am slowly getting my life back so it's totally worth it!!
Dont they give you an option??? The first time I tried having anything done without sedation was the LAST. I give you a lot of credit Laura OMG.
Good video, I am having RFA done next week on cervical facet joints and I'm trying to gather as much info as I can, so I'll know what to expect. I've tried acupuncture, massage therapy, physical therapy, CBD, lidocaine cream, steroid injections, nothing is effective for very long. I like that RFA can be helpful for a year or more.
I'm 53 with chronic pain in the lower back, coccyx. My pain specialist has recommended I try this.
I've had 5 of these pruocedures. I have arthritis all over spine and herniated discs. It works!
What have they done for their disc though I know the pain is gone but that's like putting spackling over a hole...
@moonlight02161 still have pain. Tumors in bones are beneign but cause pain 24/7.
@briancooper2112 JESUS!! See spackeling over a hole!!! I am so tired of the pain I literally am so embarrassed I have either almost peed or have on my self and the pain of even reaching to touching my toes is bad. Can barely stand or do anything . Life is 24/7 pain. I bought a expensive bed nothing!!
@@moonlight02161I've had this procedure done several times already and also lumbar steroid infection too. I also bought a sleep number bed and I'm still in lots of pain. It's all cause by a year of chemotherapy to keep my leukemia at bay while I waited for my stem cell transplant. I have very bad days with pain and the treatments are short lived but almost worth it even for a little relief..
Hi! I'm trying to research RFA for my chronic lower back pain. I live in Charlotte NC and I'm wondering if you can tell me what type of physicians do this procedure and what the general average cost is without health insurance. Do you know if Care Credit is accepted for this procedure and if you must undergo some kind of "block" procedure prior to being qualified for RFA . I've never had an injection/block of any kind in my lower spine other than an epidural for labor 21 years ago but I believe I heard something about needing to have that done first? I appreciate any information you can share on this. Thank you!
I’m getting mine done by a pain management clinic
I just had my first diagnostic block yesterday with 100% relief within 90 minutes. I was elated! I could walk without pain for the first time in 15 years (I'm too young for this. lol).
So, if in understanding my doctor correctly, and from your discussion with Bond, James Bond, only one side will be done at a time? What is the purpose of having each side done in separate procedures?
Great video, by the way. I'm soo looking forward to my procedure. Not really the second diagnostic block, however, as the pain came back with a vengeance as I hadn't taken my pain meds, and I got physically ill from the sudden onset of pain.
Trisia44, I wish you the best of luck with the nerve ablation! I was so hopeful and optimistic when I had it done because I had great results with my last two SI injections. Unfortunately, it hasn't helped me at all. I'm hoping to have it done again with a possible increase in the frequency. Waiting on a response to my earlier post from the Dr. Maybe he can give me some insight as to my options.
Michelle L, I'm so sorry to hear that. I sure do hope I have good results because I was so excited when my doctor suggested it. It sounded like a light at the end of this excruciating tunnel. We shouldn't have to be in so much pain!
I hope your next session has better results. And I'm so glad you said something because I'll know to ask him about the strength of the frequency.
curious as to how everything turned out? :)
Hi,I wondering how your back feeling know my hubby is thinking about having this done...thanks
@@trisia44 How are you now? How did the procedure go?
I have had many abortions from cervical to S1 at different times and get TREMENDOUS relief. I have always refused sedation, which they offered, I just felt better having my senses aware. 3 months ago, had a Spinal Cord Simulator implanted and have had amazing results. Will continue the abortions for my cervical and thoracic area. I may even have some actual Pain Free days ahead.
😮abortions ????
How can the patient be so calm?? I did the diagnosis test and it was the worst thing i have done in my life. 5 injections and i screamed right out and flopped my legs for every injection. It felt like someone stabbed me with a knife in my spine. The pain was just out of the scale!
I tell some good stories to keep everyone's mind off the injection. And I buffer the local anesthetic so it doesn't burn, and I numb all the layers of fascia on the way down.
I have one coming up, this is not good news.
@@sandravaldez-armstrong4054 well u better take some heavy painkillers before, i sure would have done that if i knew how horrible it was
@@IceMan-wj4wg Did it work? How long did it take to recover ?
@@sandravaldez-armstrong4054 Luckily, the pain caused by the injections went away pretty quickly afterwards. However, in my case, this procedure did not help with my back pain. After more diagnostic procedures we have found out its the disc that causes my pain, and im now scheduled for a endoscopic discectomy, after 2 years of back pain caused by a sports injury. But i wish you good luck and hope this will help you, cause in many cases it helps i've heard!
I had a failed Back surgery 3 yrs ago.? And now still have bad pain unable to walk without a cane.? I am set up for an MRI.? so i can have this procedure done, Hopefully it helps me to be pain free & walk normally again.? You seem like a DR. who knows what he is doing with this procedures. Thanks for sharing this video
+A REDTAIL
Your ability to find success with this procedure after a back surgery depends on whether or not the facet joints are causing your pain.
A facet joint nerve block-the diagnostic phase of the procedure Will let your physician know (and you as well) whether or not you will get relief with the ablation with the best prognostic value available.
Good Luck!
PM
15 years ago I had spinal fusion.... what a horrible mistake that was. I spent 6 weeks in a rehab facility, 3 months in a hospital bed at home and a full year (plus) in physical therapy. I had dropped foot syndrome and it left me completely incontinent. My incision was from my bra line to the crack of my butt. I still have plenty of back pain. This wasn’t available, and gosh, I wish it had been.
Same here!
Melissa Coleman
I've had MBB bilaterally several times, as well as steroid injects several times before the MBBs. I've recently had a bilateral rhizotomy January 27, 2017. All procedures focused on my L4/L5/S1 region. I have been diagnosed with the common medical codes for osteoarthritis, spongelosis, disc degeneration in those areas. I still live with pain in the S1 down to my tail bone and radiates in my hip joints along with rear end muscle pain. I've been going to Southeastern Spine institution since October 2016 and only reaching 60% improvement. I feel like there are no other options for my pain. My recheck visit is March 2017 and I have a feeling that nothing else will be done. To add, I do not nor have I been prescribed pain meds. I just want relief. Thanks for video.
To add, I've still have tenderness and minor swelling in the L4/L5 location. I had to use an ice pack for the first time since the rhizotomy.
I went as long as I could without pain meds (about 10 yrs) but i had no choice..the pain in y neck was so bad I would have opted to have my heard cut off if it werent for pain meds. I was just recently DX with Seronegative RA, but have had some type of OA for 10 yrs. I have had numerous injections, then ablations L2-7 bilaterally, both SI Joints, & both hips. I also have it in the base of my thumbs (cmc joint) but I refuse those injections as they wont sedate for it. hey have also taken fluid from my hip joint which was WITHOUT sedation and I screamed & cried the entire time! Giving birth hurt less than that!! Ive just started on Methotrexate w/folic acid.. you should check it out online and maybe discuss it with your Dr. Fingers crossed i willl eventually find relief in this med or a biologic....if not, then its off to see a neurosurgeon. Good luck hun.... Sounds like we have alot in common, if u ever wanna chat pls feel free :)
@@jade8568_VR have you found any relief there yet?
Just had done, wow, it helps alot. Thanks for the info.
How is your pain now?
@@lemonbade 0..like a light switch was turn off. Glad I did it and happy with outcome 100%. MD was terrific!
@@PetsNPatients how was your pain now? Has the relief lasted?
Also he mentioned a possible side effect that the outer layer of the covering of the spinal cord could get torn that however it's usually only in about 4 percent of the cases and they would know about it right away in which case I would have to lay perfectly flat for 20 hours? This to prevent a severe headache but with no lasting effects beyond that. Your take on this if you don't mind. Thanks
+sharon smith
We've done nearly 20,000 in our institute. we've had one complication: a lady has minimal bleeding that stopped in a day. No weakness, no paralysis, no neurologic injuries. If your doctor thinks he might put the needle in the spinal cord: go to another doctor!! Fast.
Trish 38, kind of a long story but in a nutshell I had a fusion of my L4 and L5 in may 2014, it actually took care of my severe, chronic right side Lumbar pain. unfortunately after about 18 months my left side progressively has become extremely painful, walking, sitting bending just about everything I do. I'm on 600 MG of gabipentin 3 times a day along with 750 MG of chlorzoxazone 3 times a day and fenoprofen, it helps but I'm still in chronic pain. July of this year 2016 I did my first RFA on my left side I had a slight improvement such as getting out of bed or standing up from a bent position I don't struggle as badly to get to an upright position. I had my follow up apt this morning from having the RFA done on my right side and it's been suggested I have the sacroiliac joint injection RFA done now since my pain is mainly in the very low left Lumbar/buttox area, I can literally force my left leg to go numb simply with a position change of my hips and legs. I'm wondering if it is worth it to keep going and trying the RFA? I had a bad experience with my original surgeon for my fusion, I was never given any of the options such as RFA or a spinal stimulator before going the fusion route. I should have known to get a second opinion but I was in so much pain I just wanted relief and after the epidural injections didn't work for me I thought that was my last hope. I'd like your thoughts on the stimulator as well, I was told it has more success in people with leg and hip pain, I don't have leg pain but leg numbness although I do have hip pain and pain right in the center of my buttox. any advice is much appreciated!
Not sure what your cause of pain is or why they havent given you pain meds instead of nerve pain med, but for me, I have OA & seronegative RA...also in both SI joints, hips, hands; neck, & feet! ( too long to explain but pls see my previous comments for further info) Anyway the SO joint ablations work great on me, but my insurance is now denying claims to have it done :( IM fighting it, but its rediculous. I am taking 10 mg Narco 4xday, along with a 72 hour pain patch (25mcg fentanyl) which Ive been on over a yr without increasing..but I continue geting ablations as they give me the best possible pain relief...my pain mngt dr thinks I will need to see a neuro surgeon pretty soon, but MANNNN am I seriously scared of neurosurgery! When my SI Joint pain got way out of control last yr, is when he prescribed my patch... It took SIXTEEN HOURS for that 1st patch to kick in, but when it did O M G!! I kept making my daughter unwillingly watch me QUICKLY & EFFORTLESSLY get in and out of my car over & over lol... talk about heaven! I have since had another med added into the mix: Methotrexate 1x a week with folic acid daily. (trust me I have measured the good/vs bad,and the benefits do outweigh the bad side effects! Not to mention I never even got any nausea or any other symptoms..so far...knock on wood
@@jade8568_VR how are you feeling now looking for some relief with my back as well. Previously had back surgery but doc wants to go back in and fuse.... Hellllllll nooooo!
@@jade8568_VR how are you feeling now looking for some relief with my back as well. Previously had back surgery but doc wants to go back in and fuse.... Hellllllll nooooo!
I wish this doctor had actually told us when the burn was occurring and for how many seconds and temperature .... I've had it done twice both sides 6 altogether. First time had to be a placement issue, the pain and stiffness didn't get better or worse.
I just had it done 2 weeks ago, different doctor, and it was a different experience, when it was done, I was sore. Not immediately, because I was numbed up, but the following week was weird dull pain, sore from the procedure, light burning sensation....
The third week I'm starting to notice improvement standing and walking. Not complete relief, but much more tolerable, and as the scarring develops, I'm hoping for more pain relief .... Keeping my fingers crossed.
Going for second RAFs will do bilateral this time. The difference is night and day in ability to function normally, walking, standing, getting up out of chairs, stairs and a month after that, THR.
Does the machine for radiofrequency the same as use for mono and bipolar in Operation theatre ?
I read that there is increased pain and more recovery time expected after Neck Radiofrequency ablation?
Thank you for this!! I appreciate it!
So what if you have selective nerve root block for L5 for severe sciatic pain, and you need medial branch block and ablation for lower back pain. I am in pain daily.
I have a bilateral rhizotomy procedure pending.kinda nervous been having back pain since 2009
+roundman beatmaker
how did it go?
it went good i was pain free but I'm having to go back for an e.s.i.workers comp didn't want to pay for a fusion in my l5s1so it feels like I'm almost back at 1
Is a rhizotomy procedure more permanent?
@@imastraycattoo7443 I have to get it once a year because the nerves grow back
12:55havent had this done yet but could be in the future
Wonderful job!!!
Really appreciated! thank you Drew!
I am curious as to why some doctors perform these procedures in a hospital (both steroid injections as well as ablation) while other pain management clinics do them in an office setting? Should I stay away from the office type settings? Lastly, each block I have had done has been done by an anesthesiologist, is there is reason for this over other doctor types performing these?
Insurance doesn't pay for hospitals anymore. In office as long as they have x Ray . Yes anesthesiologist do the most. I had in hospital years ago, it was horrible they demanded anesthesia, in office nothing. Doctor ( anestheologist) told me more danger in anesthesia then injection.
I have had all of my back procedures done at a surgical center
My question is is why was ninety-nine percent of the video done so well and in detail. Soon as you move the electrical probe over to the lower back and he had a sensation in his buttocks you took the probe off and cuts off the video. Did you have it in the wrong spot?
Do u always get a local..my bk abd neck were done in 2019 they some what put me to sleep and this time in a different state, they gave me nothing but numbing stuff and i felt everything, i screamed i cried, im also bpd, bipolar and ptsd, veteran...why ...took for ever to feel better ..pain is getting better but why didnt they make sure i wasnt in pain.
Yes. We always use local. If there is an allergy to one, we use a different type. Not all physicians, sadly, are adept at always putting the local, and enough of it, in the right place, or even more importantly waiting for it to have effect!But using general anesthesia or moderate sedation simply increases the risk of the procedure. Sometimes needlessly.
I had this done bout 2 months ago in my neck bilateral. it has really help alot on my neck pain. I can say about 65% improvement. almost 70. but what I have or what I'm experience right now are some sharp pin neddle pain stinks come and go on my neck, I wonder if this go away ?
Su Amigo El Ilegal great question. Not uncommon, especially in smaller patients. The sensory nerve to the skin can be close to the nerve to the joint, I’ve never had it NOT resolve.
Is this procedure done on the neck also ? Thank You. Jeffery W.
It sure is Amigo.
I'm having this done next month (July 2021). I am fully awake for steroid facet injections and will get sedation for this. Can you tell me how much more painful this procedure is?
it's honestly not bad. I am not really a fan of needles and my doctor was very gentle and he told me everything that he was doing so there weren't any surprises. While there were moments when I was in pain, they didn't last long. And also the pain relief was much greater than the few moments of pain. Definitely worth it!!
Im doing this tomorrow L34and5 bilateral right side tomorrow
How much does it hurt? I need this next time
Thank you so much for the information.. My pain clinic is Mays & Schnapps here in Tennessee.. My doctors Dr. Schnapps also performed surgery on the NBA player Grizzly Mike Conely face during his injury last year. My doctor and Mike were on the t.v. FOX 13discussing his surgery which was successful.. Dr. Schnapps is so awesome at his job.. I'm praying this block will help me a great deal.
I think i Know Dr. Schnapps. Had dinner with him and his son at a meeting in palm beach about 3 years ago. Please say hello!
Best of luck Yvette!
Question, I just had this done yesterday and i feel like he was actually slamming his hands in me. Not all gentle like you are doing. And now today i feel extremely sore.
gentle is key!
I'm trying to get the same treatment so I'm at IME doctors appointment so she can approve the procedure 🤞 workers comp. So often times it takes along time for some procedures.
My hopes are moderate but if the treatment is dined then I will have to have permanent work restrictions and that will be a mitigating factor on there end. My MRI came clear .
This is an inexpensive and atraumatic procedure. But often life changing. Dental cleanings are far worse. Hopefully the WC MD agrees. Best of luck.
Dr. McRoberts: I found this very fascinating and found you very interesting.. I always see these surgical fluoroscopes in use, and while its a limited dose, I would be a bit worried (for you) over the accumulated x-ray dose with the amount of surgeries you do.. It looks like it's not run in real-time, but still.. 100KeV+ x-rays ..
I had this done a couple years ago at the University of Denver Colorado. It was an absolute nightmare. They didn't sedate me at all. And it was like being burned alive from the inside out. I remember that she told me it be 40 seconds and daring that 40 seconds it burns so bad. I'll never have that done again. It didn't even help that much. She said she did both sides. The first side took a long time the second time was like 2 seconds thank you said she was done I don't think she would did the second one. I'll never have that done again. I'm doing the implant thing right now it seems to work pretty good. Maybe I had a bad doctor I don't know.
Sorry, that sounds awful. How is the implant though? Is it like having a tens machine inside you?
Do they make you sick do they hurt is it like an epidural I have the epidural last year to make me sick I ended up in the hospital for 3 days last year from the epidural
No. extraordinary rare that that would happen. With an ablation, or an epidural for that matter.
Hello I have had three nerves blocks since October 2015 until now May 2016. I have arthritis in my lower lumbar l4 and l5 disc. I had a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2011. so I have been taking prednisone for 5 years now. I have gained about 90 pounds since then. My pain clinic doctor has scheduled me a radio frenquency ablation in June. My question is will what type of numbing medication will be given and will I be sleepy afterward? Also , why did my doctor have to keep performaning test blocks for this incoming ablation??
Both are great questions give that.
It's a generally because insurance requires us to do the blocks.
The blocks prognosticate or predict how well the ablation will work and if you had immediate relief with those blocks then most likely the ablation will be successful.
The more blocks you have with immediate success again the more likely the ablations will be.
The problem is of course inconvenience of, and small amount of pain associated with the blocks and of course insurance companies don't seem to mind that.
The type of numbing medicine we will use is either lidocaine or marcaine both of which provide good local anesthesia so it is very comfortable.
In terms of making you sleepy some doctors prefer to use a bit of sedation during the procedure. We have found that most people do not need it and thus recover very quickly.
Best of luck.
By the way who is your doctor?
Porter McRoberts
I'm disabled 39 live in chronicpain I've had a RFA done on my neck and 3 times on lower back just had it done at 7 am if this doesn't work Alift spinal fusion surgery next I've already had emergency back surgery 11/1/2016
Might be worth your while determining precisely which cervical disc levels are generating the pain, if at all.
Hello I had my radiofrequency ablation today. I was sedated and had a gas mask given to me. Dr. Schnapps had a partner to come in help him. I felt the nurse roll up my right pants let , I think to put a patch there . Well that being said I am in so discomfort tonight. I was told to make an appointment to go back to see him in twelve weeks.. i was told I could use a hot or cold towel. Is this normal to still be sure and when will the I see if the procedure worked or not??
I am trying to look up the procedure that my Surgeon wants to do. He showed me a replica of the spine with large (half the size of a pencil) large nerve running through ? Spine. The plan he said is to burn that nerve. This is because I have phantom pain that makes my T-9 , 10, and 11 create a lot of pain. We will get injections to confirm. But it is to stop my perception of my ribs feeling like they are broken. Pain is that bad. I did have Vertebralplasty a couple of months ago to stabilize compression fractures in those vertebra. Is this the same thing. He did say years ago they used to actually cut that nerve but it created a lot more problems.
By me watching this video it helped me out with my injection,now am having what called the facet joint nerves ablations so by watching this video I will not be so scared,thank you for getting me through this one of tests.
barbara linaker can you be put to sleep for this procedure
is this the procedure ablation done for a cancer tumor on the lumbar
I've had the two medial branch blocks and are waiting until later in January to decide whether we do the ablation. My question is is there any research about long term damage to the nerve, which could eventually cause more problems? I just think of animals that regenerate limbs, they are never as strong as the original. I'm a bit paranoid.
I had RF Ablation performed on my right side. First, it did not help, but hurt like crazy! Second, I have nerve damage to my right hand. I drop a lot of things, like soda cans, small tools, forks, spoons, knives. Just my experience. I would not have it performed again.
rockbay79 thanks for the input! My mother died from complications from MS, so messing with the myelin sheath made me a bit paranoid as well.
Jackie Barker A nerve ablation is like a haircut for a nerve ending. They deaden just the tip of the nerve. Then in a few weeks it deadens & falls off. My pain goes away anywhere from 6 months to 2 yrs! when the pain comes back I go back in for another round. I thank God everyday for my dr..
Kim McGrantham I get rfas too & definitely get sedation, either Versed (called "milk of amnesia") or Propofol. I get less than a year of relief. I am in same situation you are. My pain started in my early 30's & I am 45 now. It would be so nice if nerves didn't regenerate then we would both have longer pain relief. L4, L5 & S1 is my main problem, but also have a broken tailbone.
@@jade8568_VR how much relief would you say you from the RFA? I'm looking to have this done to help me sever nerve pain. I have already had a far lateral microdiscectomy l4/l5 last year and I still am in lots of pain. No fusion!!!!!
Dear Doc.
Just will be appreciated if you can tell if this thing can be done for people with Spinal Cord Injury or SC Tumor. I personally have a resected spinal cord tumor (ganglioglioma) did this technic can reduce to release low back pain.
Another question we have to do it for life time or after 2 or 3 session pain will disappear.
Thank you for your generosity to answer.
Thanks
+Living in Pain 24/7
Good question.
If you still have sensation to the facet joints then worth a try-- the facet joint nerve block is the best test.
very best of luck.
PM
Yes I have sensation 100% all over. But pain is there. I am not sure if what you are doing as ablation is same as Rhizothomy... My doctor said that rizothomy is useless for Me as spinal cord tumor resected patient... My pain is also in my legs , hips..... because the damage in the cord is big... Please advise..Thanks for your generosity to reply...
if you anesthetize the nerves (medial branch of the dorsal primary rami) and you feel relief as a test- then go for it- you have little to loose from trying. The very best of luck!
PM
it can-- but if the pain is from the SCI then it will not work. Neuromodulation may be the way to go.
I’ve had the branch block and the pain wasn’t bad at all. How much more will the ablation procedure hurt?
Did you get the ablation? My first branch test worked great. Now for second test. How are you now?
@@JRJStacks I did my left side last week and my right side a couple of days ago. Recovery wasn’t bad. I just felt a bit stiff but pain was minimal. I didn’t need any pain meds. So far… I feel ok… but let’s see what the next few weeks bring. ☺️
I just had my first block done and I was under complete anesthesia becuz I bleed easily and I'm extremely sensitive to pain. Not sure that was the best thing for me tho. I woke up completely off balance for hours
As a matter of interest, do you have red hair? I do and also bleed a lot.
If a patient with nerve ablation have accidental injury in spinal cord above level of pain?? does he feel again a pain in the area of nerve ablation.. Very confused for getting accurate answer doctor... Please advise.. Thx
+Living in Pain 24/7
He may feel the pain where the ablation take place. But keep in mind this is not a big deal in 98% of cases. In the remaining 2% the pain is only moderate.
Does anyone know if this procedure a permanent fix or does it have to be redone every so often?
My doc said it's not permanent because the nerves grow back but it can give people a few months to a year of relief sometimes.
There is no option for fully anesthetic for this treatment?
mukhriz kamarudin There is, but for most it’s very tolerable. Best of luck.
Anodyne Research... I'm having this procedure done in a few weeks. My understanding is they will do both sides together... Is this a reasonable possibility? Was Mr. Bond getting both sides that same time?
Liverpooloflife it depends honestly on your insurance. Which is super frustrating. There is no reason not to do them together except for a bit more soreness.
Where is Dr. McRoberts located? What is his practice called and where is it located?
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Curious, is an orthopedic MD or anesthesiologist better to do this procedure?
Generally there are two choices: an interventional physiatrist, such as myself or a fellowship trained anesthesiologist. As long as you have someone who is both fellowship trained and boarded in pain medicine by the ABMS (the American board of medical specialties) as well as their base training you’ll be in good hands. I don’t know any orthopedists who do this procedure. Make sure they’ve done it a lot. Well over 5000 times. It takes practice.
@@svibissailingtheworld8840 thank you for that info. Scarey stuff
Had first trial, super painful L5 S1, bp shot up 200/100, I think I should have had more anesthesic. Great results, then tripped "hurrying" end of August and scrambled the pain free high of 30 days. Thinking to do second trial & oblation at larger facility. I couldn't recall how good it felt to have NO pain. Wish this had been recommended in 2015 by orthopedic MD instead of suffering 5 years.
how successful is it for lower thoracic pain like t11/t12?
Not quite as successful. But close. The nerves are slightly more variable in location and thus the success rate a bit lower. But not much. Worth a retry in a slightly different needle position if no success the first time. Best of luck.
@@wportermcroberts thank you doctor, I've been getting fassett joint blocks and they're getting less and less effective.
Armand Tetreault The blocks do get less and less effective. If so move on to the ablation. Sadly the same can be seen with ablations over the years. This then requires larger lesions and different techniques.
My dr is planning on doing this to me but I am scared I have a lot of pain in my hip and right side of my back from hip to shoulder and my lower back constantly aches I do have degeneration disease in my lower spine my vertabraes are bone on bone!
I see folks saying they felt it. Lord I hope I dont. I go next month. My doctor said I would not feel it. How is recovery? He said recovery might be a bit painful? I go next month.
You might feel it. But I have done 10s of thousands, and way less than 0.1% complain about pain during the procedure. Why? I buffer the lidocaine so you really cant feel any burn. I wait for the lidocaine to work before I continue. As I pass the needle, certain anatomical planes are painful, like fascia, I numb those, others aren't, like fat, we pass right through those while chatting. And so we go together, I listening to you, listen too how you react, all the while chatting with you, hopefully about something you find interesting. And, soon enough were finished. It's over and your ok. You walk out with a sense of fullness in the back, no pain. As the numbing medicine wears off it feels like you slept in the wrong position. I does hurt some, but it is by no means intolerable. That feeling goes away usually within a few days to a week. For more than half, they report, really minimal to no pain after the procedure.
hey! I've had a whole bunch of these, some with iv sedation and some without-- the only thing you should feel during the procedure is just the little poke and sting from the numbing, if you still have pain or discomfort, you can tell your doctor and they can always give you more! One thing I didnt know about recovery that I wish someone told me, is that nerve regrowth/regeneration can be quite painful. I had very severe neuropathy after an ablation just because sometimes the nerves can get aggravated during the procedure. It eventually went away and I was completely fine!!
I've had facet blocks which didn't help. I had 3 separate sets of SI injections and the last two gave great results. The RFA was done on July 22, 2016. That evening and the next 2 days were pretty uncomfortable, but I had high hopes of long term relief. It's been a little over a month and I'm still experiencing the same pain I had before the procedure. Would it be possible to have it done a second time with results of relief or is this something I will have to live with? Any information would be GREATLY appreciated!
It's good to see a doctor having communications with his patient, the one I was referred to by my neurosurgeon doesn't inform me of anything during any procedure. I feel like I'm part of an assembly line.
I was treated the same way at the Veteran's Hospital in Little Rock Arkansas!
How are you now? Are you just living with the pain or have you found a solution?
I don't even care that they numb you, the sheer fact that there are about to be 6 giant needles sticking out of my back is enough to make them put me out
I always thought the same, looks a bit gruesome! However, the most sensitive safety monitoring instrument in the room is the patient. It should be a pretty comfortable procedure. I've placed tens of thousands if not more than a hundred thousand needles in patients (including myself) over the years. There are only a few possibilities for significant pain: 1) the technique is poor: non-judicious, or impatient use of local anesthetic. 2) there is something wrong, and the pain is a telltale of tissue destruction that should NOT be occurring. 3) an extremely liable and emotional patient that need additional caretaking: of the neurologic region above the neck.
Dr will this work with sciatica pain from l5 s1 disc bulge
No sir. It won't. An epidural is the best way to go. Physical therapy too. Then, and while i rarely advocate spine surgery- the microdiscectoy without fusion is a very successful surgery 90% success. But see what you get with conservative care. Best of luck..PS if any nerve deficit, weakness etc see a surgeon quickly.
your Great Dr I have had injections in 2011 with my first sciatic problem and the injection s did nothing... I am in therapy now with oral naproxen and xtra strength Tylenol..its been 2 weeks now I just want relief...thank u for ur reply
I had my right side done sore, little inch but 💯% better
I had this done with local pain mgt specialist , and it set back the progress I made doing a series of excercises by a factor of at least a year. Unfortunately I have not been able to bounce back from this incredibly painful procedure, however the doc had me bending my neck in such a way that I was in SEVERE pain from the moment it started. Had my neck bent in such a way that I almost passed out . The doc was on the telephone in the next room for several minutes while I remained in that position. Nothing like what you are showing here unfortunately.