Aa
rhizotomy
Does it work? What happens if they burn off a good nerve? When it grows back is it going to be angry? I have gone through all kinds of things and nothing has worked. It is my lower back. They say now it is my facet joints. Also what is recovery like?
Am I going to be in worse pain after. I mean I know I am in a lot of pain after each procedure I have had for at least a week. Tell me the truth because you know doctors, they won't tell me that. I would rather know the truth from somebody who has been through it.
they told me I would be asleep through the whole procedure. Did they lie to me? I hope not, because I do not want to feel that.
They wake you up to make sure they have the right nerves. You'll feel it while their burning away the nerve -- sometimes it is quite intense. But any pain you feel for the 2-4 minutes it takes to ablate the nerve will mean that you'll have a lot less low back pain in a couple of weeks.
Shellie,
If indeed your problem is facet joint syndrome, then nerve ablation can be very effective in reducing or eliminating your pain. I have had these procedures on 6 levels in my neck and lower back and they really help me.
It's simple procedure done in a surgical room. You will be lying on your stomach and sedated. The pain doc inserts small probes into your spine, usually above and below the facet joint to a point next to the bone under fluroscopic examination. The location of the specific nerve, the medial branch nerve, is well known. An experienced doctor will have no trouble finding the correct nerve. When the probe is in place, the anesthesiologist will wake you up, and you'll feel pain for the 2-4 minutes while the nerve is ablated. Usually, there's two probes per joint.
When finished, you are in a recovery room for about 20 minutes, and then you'll need a ride home.
Recovery is not difficult. You'll be sore from the procedure for a few days, maybe a week. Use ice -- it really helps with pain and swelling. Some docs treat with valium for a few days to reduce muscle spasm. Once the pain of the procedure fades, you should notice a big difference in facet related pain.
In about a month you might benefit from a course of physical therapy.
With any medical procedure there are risks that your doctor will explain to you. The risks are slight, usually lower than one percent, but make sure you understand these risks before you sign the consent.
best wishes for a pain-free future.
If indeed your problem is facet joint syndrome, then nerve ablation can be very effective in reducing or eliminating your pain. I have had these procedures on 6 levels in my neck and lower back and they really help me.
It's simple procedure done in a surgical room. You will be lying on your stomach and sedated. The pain doc inserts small probes into your spine, usually above and below the facet joint to a point next to the bone under fluroscopic examination. The location of the specific nerve, the medial branch nerve, is well known. An experienced doctor will have no trouble finding the correct nerve. When the probe is in place, the anesthesiologist will wake you up, and you'll feel pain for the 2-4 minutes while the nerve is ablated. Usually, there's two probes per joint.
When finished, you are in a recovery room for about 20 minutes, and then you'll need a ride home.
Recovery is not difficult. You'll be sore from the procedure for a few days, maybe a week. Use ice -- it really helps with pain and swelling. Some docs treat with valium for a few days to reduce muscle spasm. Once the pain of the procedure fades, you should notice a big difference in facet related pain.
In about a month you might benefit from a course of physical therapy.
With any medical procedure there are risks that your doctor will explain to you. The risks are slight, usually lower than one percent, but make sure you understand these risks before you sign the consent.
best wishes for a pain-free future.
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