Treatment: Pulsed Radiofrequency

What is a Pulsed radiofrequency

Pulsed radiofrequency is used to treat a number of different painful conditions. The treatment is given to an area where there is a sensitised or inflamed nerve. It involves placing the needle alongside a nerve that supplies sensation to the painful area and applying an electrical impulse.

This current causes an electromagnetic field around the point of the needle and the nerve next to it. This field has been shown to reduce inflammatory chemicals and receptors in the nerve. The electromagnetic field is maintained for a few minutes and then stopped. In this way, pain coming from a single nerve that has been irritated and inflamed may be treated.

The Procedure of Pulsed radiofrequency

Once in the treatment room, you will be positioned on the treatment couch. When you are ready the skin will be cleaned with an antiseptic solution, some local anaesthetic will be introduced into the skin and when the skin has gone numb a needle will be introduced very slowly and carefully. Once the needle is in the correct place, next to the nerve, the nerve will be stimulated. This gentle stimulus is designed to cause tingling in the affected nerve. The settings are then changed to cause small contractions in the muscles. This may feel a little odd, but not painful.

Then the needle has an electrical current passed through it. This current causes an electromagnetic field around the point of the needle and the nerve root next to it. The electromagnetic field is maintained for a few minutes and then stopped. This is repeated. This is NOT a painful procedure and you may feel very little sensation at all during the minutes when the actual treatment takes place. At the end of the procedure a small amount of steroid and local anaesthetic will be injected around the nerve.

The needle will then be removed. A small plaster will be placed over the needle site. You may then get dressed again and be asked to sit in the waiting area for a short period, to make sure that you are ready to go home. The plaster is more to protect your clothes from specks of blood, rather than an antiseptic necessity. It may be removed and you may shower or bathe as usual that evening.

Risks and complications

Complications may be minor or serious. Overall, minor complications are more common, and serious ones are very rare.

Common complications

Pulsed radiofrequency is a commonly performed procedure but as with all medical procedures, there are some risks.

Complications that are minor and occur quite frequently include:

• Bruising of the skin and under the surface.

• Mild to moderate discomfort.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take?

A Pulsed Radiofrequency procedure usually takes about 10-20 minutes.

Will it hurt?

The uncomfortable part of the procedure is when the needle is placed through the skin and soft tissues. The doctor will inject local anaesthetic into the skin to make it go numb before pushing the longer needle through. There may be a little discomfort, but nothing more and the doctor will talk you through the process, so there are no surprises.