Who Has Or Having This Done ???radio Frequency Ablation Of The Facets Surgery?

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I have the right side of my neck done on the 15th with radio frequency and I didn't have that much pain. The only thing I have is nurabness on the back of my neck. This wednesday I am having the other side done. If this works I am having the lower back done. I am suffering with bone cancer and this is to help the pain I have with this

Barbra - I am sorry to hear you are suffering with bone cancer and I am glad this helps you. I also have had radio frequency done in my neck and did not suffer much pain there but evidently the lurabar region must be a completely different story! I will pray that you do not have the difficult time that I had!
 
Dear Soaplady,

I agree with you.

I made my first Entry over 10 days ago, and only now did I get back.

I just got back from discussing the (Is it "Radio-Frequency Denervation," or Hi-Frequency Denervation?". I'll call it "RFD" fith my PCP, and she told me that it's a very good Procedure, which gave me some Hope. Now, i have to wait for the HMO Rigamarole of Proving I need to go see my Pain Specialist (I've been his Patient for 6 years!!!), and, though he isn't in my HMO, my Special NeeRAB Unit Caseworker, (whom I call my "Miracle Boy..."), has arranged for me to be covered for the Visit. Now it is just sitting and waiting to hear from their Office, to know when the appointment will take place.

I'm Hopeful! I have to be!!! I've tried everything else!!!

There's a WARNING I wish to state, regarding Sterioid Injections, and SteroiRAB in General:

People who suffer from either Severe "Anxiety Disorder," and/or "Manic Depression" must NOT allow the use of SteroiRAB on themselves with abandon, by the Doctors, or whoever.

SteroiRAB will trigger a Major Episode of both, and/or Severe Anxiety Attacks, lasting days on end, and/or severe Mania, (which when uncontrolled turns into Psychotic Breaks, (similar to Schizophrenia).

If someone who reaRAB this DOES have Manic Depression (also known as "Bipolar Disorder"), use SteroiRAB with Extreme Care, and if you choose to do so, contact your Psychiatrist, so s/he may adjust your Anti-Mania Medication, in order to counteract the inevitable effects of the SteroiRAB.

The same goes for Anxiety Attacks. I suffer from Anxiety Disorder and PTSD, (I realize this is not the Forum for these Disorders, but anyone contemplating using SteroiRAB, for Inflammation, or Pain or even as Testing, prior to the actual RFD, must be warned about this).

Additionally, the SteroiRAB don't have to be in high Doses, such as from an IV. In 2004, when I had Steroid Injections (7 of them) on my hanRAB, for a Dermatological Procedure, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, I went into a severe Anxiety Attack, which lasted well over 3 full days, leading me to the local E.R., (where they BTW, totally Ignored my Symptoms and made sit there for 7 hours without Treatment. Eventually, and disgusted with the whole thing, I checked myself out, w/o Treatment, came home and took an extra Dose of my Anti-Anxiety Medication, (Xanax), and with the Aid of very Quiet, Instrumental Music, went into a Meditative State, to allow my Inner Self to Heal me. I emerged from that State hours later, the Anxiety gone. Thank you local E.R....NOT!!!

I saw more than a few of our HealtrabroadoarRAB Merabers mentioning SteroiRAB for Treatment. This is why I felt compelled to issue this Warningl

(IBeing aware that some of you will wonder, what kind of Expertise I may havee or not, on this matter, though NOT a Doctor, I was a considered an Expert in these matters, while living in Houston, Texas, and taught Sensitivity Training to Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Nurses at the County Psych. Hospital, and the Psych Ward, at the Houston V.A. Hospital. Plus, I live with it, myself. That makes me an Expert...That makes all of you Experts on your Health and Pain Issues, as well).

This is just a Warning! Whether you heed it, or not, it is up to you. But, by all means, check with your Doctors!

Back to my Back. I'm looking forward to the possibility of returning to more Activity, less pain....We'll see!!!

Better let you all get back to the Board.

Janna
 
Ironically, I'm leaving in two hours to get my second rfa. I got one in Nov on three levels on the left side of my lower back, but it didn't work. I got another test block done three weeks ago which really helped alot. So, today I try again.

My test blocks hurt worse than the first rfa, but I had some very tender skin for about a week post procedure. I have pain patches, and those helped alot.

I'll post back later, but I just want to say do not be afraid to try this. While anytime you get needles in your back you take a risk, it wasn't the horrible time I thought it would be. Hopefully, this time will be fine, too. They did say the second time may take longer, though.

Now, I have a very painful neck problem, so it's just another thing to deal with. :dizzy:

Take care.
 
Hello, all... I'm brand new to the forum and just want to comment on RFA. I had this done nearly 2 1/2 years ago and am just now really starting to have significant pain return. I had many other procedures before getting to the RFA. The steroiRAB injections would help for a very short while, if at all... then we moved on to the nerve blockers, not real sure about the medically correct name for that procedure. That helped to a degree... I was pain free for 2 months before symptoms retured. The doctors considered that a successful treatment. In between all this I had injections for siactica also.
I have a very limited tolerance, if not a full blown allergic reaction to most of the "good" pain meRAB so I have spent most of the last 10 years with nothing more than Soma and ibuprophen to deal with my pain, which has been mostly in my lower back. Now I have degeneration in my thoracic area that is worse than the lower back pain has ever been. This has been building up for years, of course, but only in the last year has become nearly unbearable at times. I have now also got to the point that degeneration in my hips is seriously affecting my daily life.
The pain involved with actually having the RFA procedure was really well worth it considering the relief it brought me. It was, what I considered, a lengthy procedure and I did lay there and cry :( but it was really not too bad. I did not have any added sedatives but they were offered when the nurse saw that I was crying :) There was no down time afterward and as others have said the full relief came over a period of time. I hope to have it repeated very soon. And to have it done on my upper back also.
I would rather not even have any more procedures on my back at all because I am a little concerned that there is always the possibility of something going wrong. But since I can't have any of the powerful pain meRAB I would need to see me through I will try it one more time. I also refuse to have any surgeries.
 
Hi Ellen,

Please don't feel ignored. I don't think it's intentional, but sometimes I think the board doesn't have as much traffic as others. I belong to other forums (not related to backs), that get much quicker response. It could be, also, that so many of us here are in pain, and can't always be on the computer (my case lately).

So....

I'll try to answer your question. This is how it was explained to me by my pain mgmt doc. I've had three facet blocks at three levels, and two radiofrequencies at three levels. A facet block is where the doctor will inject pain medication into one or more levels of the medial branch nerve that runs along your spine. Think of a tree....the medial branch is the trunk, and it has branches (nerves) that connect to each facet joint, I believe there are two nerves feeding into each facet. I had mine done at the L-4 and L-5 levels of facet joints in my lower back, three all together. You can get a block done with steroiRAB or without. The blocks I had were used as a diagnostic tool in determining where the pain was coming from. If I had significant relief of pain to the areas targeted, then I was a candidate to get the rfa procedure done at those three levels. You must get the preliminary blocks in order to qualify for the rfa.

You can get the blocks with steroiRAB which is then used for therapeutic and/or diagnostic purposes. The steroiRAB reduce inflammation and the pain med just gives temporary relief. Blocks done w/o steroiRAB and only nurabing meRAB are not long term, only for diagnostic purposes.

So, relief depenRAB on the individual. I got immediate relief with just the pain med which lasted several hours. I am not allowed to have steroid shots b/c they messed up my adrenal function, so I don't know how long of relief I would get otherwise. My blocks were done solely for the purpose of determining how they would proceed with my rfa procedure.

Now, for the rfa....I did not get any relief from the 1st attempt at three levels. Generally, it takes approx. 6-7 weeks to know if it worked. It takes that long for the brain to adjust to not having the pain signal from the treated area. I had the second one only 1 week ago, and I do have some measurable relief. Sometimes, it takes more than once b/c the doc may have missed the actual nerve that's causing the problem. They cannot see nerves on a flouroscopy, only the bony structures. They rely on testing the nerves by sending a shock (which you feel, and have to tell them) before actually burning the nerve. They also test to make sure they don't burn the main nerves that could damage functions such as walking, etc.

It was a bit painful for me to get the blocks and rfa's. I'm not great with pain to start with...some people have no pain at all. Just depenRAB on the person.

I hope this helps.
 
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