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Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a procedure that uses heat to destroy nerve endings in the treated area. The heat is created by an electric current that flows between two small, round electrode needles. RFA may be used to ease pain from arthritis, cancer, or other conditions.
You can have radiofrequency ablation in Naples done by a specialist and it even takes less than one hour. It does not require anesthesia, but sometimes numbing medicine is given in the area before RFA to reduce discomfort.
RFA is often done in the same area as a nerve block. It involves using a special needle to inject a numbing medicine near or into a joint or another source of pain, such as cancer. This helps prevent any pain during the ablation procedure
1. Back Pain
Acute back pain is the main reason for receiving RFA. It’s usually due to an inflammation in one or more low back joints, such as the joints in the small of the back (sacroiliac joints). The sacroiliac joints are where the pelvic bones meet at right angles. They can become painful when specific movements put pressure on them.
Other conditions that cause low back pain, such as spinal stenosis or degenerative changes in the lower back discs, are not helped by RFA. If you have any other source of pain in the lower part of your body, talk to your doctor about it before having an RFA procedure.
2. Knee Pain
RFA may be used to treat certain kinds of knee pain; an example of this is any pain caused by damage to a knee ligament. Knee ligaments are bands of rigid material that surround the knee and hold it together. They can be stretched or torn due to an injury, such as a sudden twist or fall.
Knee ligaments can also sustain damage during an operation, such as knee replacement.
Other conditions treated with RFA include:
- Arthritis pain
- Gout (a type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals)
- Nerve-related pain in the front of the knee
3. Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain may be treated with RFA. The most common cause of shoulder pain is rotator cuff disease. This is when the tendons that surround the shoulder joint are irritated or damaged.
RFA has also been used to treat bursitis, which happens when a fluid-filled sac in the shoulder becomes swollen and painful. But RFA has not been proved to be more effective than steroid injections in the short term.
4. Foot Pain
About one in 10 people with diabetes have ulcers on the bottom of their feet. The sores result from poor blood flow to the feet, which can happen due to nerve damage. If not treated, foot ulcers may become infected and heal poorly. This may lead to necessary amputation of the foot or part of the leg.
RFA has been used to treat painful ulcers on the bottom of the foot in people who have lost weight and don’t respond well to other treatments, but it’s not clear how much RFA helps.
In summary, radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that uses heat to destroy nerve endings in the treatment area to reduce pain. It can help treat various conditions that cause pain, such as back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, and foot pain.
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