TREAT CHRONIC PAIN WITH RADIOFREQUENCY THERAPY

WHAT IS RADIOFREQUENCY?
Radiofrequency (RF) therapy is a procedure for reducing pain in various areas of the body (back pain, knee joints, shoulder joints, and various other locations) using radio waves. This action can reduce pain effectively for a period of 6-9 months.
Radioelectric waves are given to target nerves that are responsible for carrying pain signals to the brain when that area of ​​the body becomes inflamed or irritated. The waves are delivered through a special RF needle that is connected to a radiofrequency machine. Radiofrequency electric current will produce special waves and heat that dulls pain in the nerve tissue thereby reducing pain signals from sources that 

WHO NEEDS RADIOFREQUENCY THERAPY?

When we experience symptoms of pain, the first treatment step that your doctor takes is to provide education about lifestyle modifications which are risk factors for causing the pain to arise and provide painkillers. In certain conditions, other supporting therapies are needed such as physiotherapy, a combination of lifestyle modifications, pain medications and physiotherapy, which we know as conservative or non-operative treatment. However, when a conservative form of treatment that has been carried out for at least 3 months does not give optimal results, further treatment steps are needed to treat this painful condition which has become chronic pain. Operative treatment is the next option. With advances in technology, especially in pain interventions, RF therapy can be a bridge therapy and an alternative between conservative treatments that fail and operative treatment.

RF therapy is very effective for reducing pain in cases of chronic pain that do not improve with drug therapy or physiotherapy, for example lower back pain due to pinched nerves, joint arthritis (knee and shoulder) and many more. Research shows that RF therapy is proven to be safe and can reduce chronic pain by up to 80%. Although radiofrequency therapy is generally effective in relieving pain, the effects vary from person to person. This procedure may be more effective for some patients, but less for others. It should be underlined, no doctor can accurately predict the level of pain reduction that can be achieved through this procedure.

HOW DOES THE PROCEDURE TAKE RF MEASURES?

Your doctor will determine which nerves need to be treated and ensure that the therapy will not affect muscle function and movement, so that patients don't have to worry about the possible side effect of feeling "paralyzed".

The challenge for the interventional doctor is to place the RF needle precisely on the target nerve, and to ensure proper placement, use ultrasonography (USG) or fluoroscopy (a kind of x-ray device) as a tool to visualize the RF needle to the target nerve. The use of assistive media will ensure the safety and accuracy of therapy because it can avoid dangerous structures, such as blood vessels or other nervous tissue.

At the start of the procedure, the patient may experience a dramatic reduction in pain, but not as a direct effect of the RF but from the local anesthetic administered. In the first 1-2 weeks the pain can fluctuate, but generally every day the pain will decrease. The maximum results from this RF therapy can be felt after 4 weeks post-therapy. RF therapy has a success rate of up to 80% for reducing pain by more than 50%. In addition, the good news is that the results of RF therapy can last quite a long time, namely for 1-2 years. If the RF effect is reduced and the pain is felt again, this therapy can be repeated. RF therapy is considered better when compared to steroid injections which only last about 1 month.