Plagued by Nerve Pain? It Might Be Time for a Rhizotomy

Your nerves run from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. They have various but very important jobs, including sending messages about sensations in specific areas and stimulating organs and muscles to function properly. 

If any of your nerves are pinched, damaged, compressed, or irritated, it can cause noticeable symptoms, such as pain, tingling, and numbness. 

Oftentimes, chronic neck or back pain stems from one or more nerves in your spine that have suffered injury or damage due to spine-related conditions, including arthritis, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or spinal stenosis. 

While there are several effective treatment methods to address these conditions and reduce pain, you may reach a point where additional measures are needed to provide effective pain relief. 

At Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine in Colleyville, Texas, pain management expert Don Enty, MD, leads our team in diagnosing and treating chronic spine conditions that cause nerve pain. We offer many different techniques that can provide true pain relief, including rhizotomy. 

Here, we discuss what you need to know about a rhizotomy and if it might be right for you. 

What is a rhizotomy?

Rhizotomy is an umbrella term for several treatments that seek to relieve pain by damaging the nerves that are causing it in the first place. When a nerve becomes irritated or compressed by a herniated disc or arthritis, it often sends incorrect pain signals, leading to chronic pain even after the initial issue is resolved. 

To prevent the nerve from continuing to send incorrect pain signals, a rhizotomy aims to interrupt communication between the affected nerve and your brain. Some rhizotomy methods use a chemical solution or surgical instruments to damage or sever the nerve tissue, but at Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine, our team uses radiofrequency (RF) rhizotomy. 

During RF rhizotomy, our team uses radiofrequency energy to heat and ablate the targeted nerve branch, preventing pain signals from being transmitted. 

What to expect during RF rhizotomy 

When you undergo RF rhizotomy with our team, you begin by changing into a hospital gown before we administer local anesthesia to keep you comfortable. You’re awake during this procedure, but you won’t feel anything. 

Next, Dr. Enty uses fluoroscopy to precisely place the needle that delivers the RF waves. Dr. Enty then sends a test current to verify that the needle is in the correct nerve branch. Once the needle is in the correct position, we deliver thermal energy to the nerves, effectively destroying them and preventing further pain. 

Is RF rhizotomy right for you?

If chronic neck or back pain has been plaguing you for months and treatment methods, such as rest, physical therapy, and steroid injections, haven’t provided you with pain relief, RF rhizotomy might be the best next step. 

RF rhizotomy isn’t a permanent solution to chronic pain, and the pain will likely return when the damaged nerve heals. However, the majority of people who undergo this procedure report significant pain relief, so the benefits are often worth it. 

To learn more about this procedure or any of our other pain management solutions, schedule a consultation with our team by calling our office or using our online booking feature today.