Cervical Facet Radiofrequency Neurotomy

Triple-board certified back specialist Dr. Amr Hosny offers more than two dozen pain management procedures aimed at eliminating your chronic and neurological pain disorders. At NJPCC, our goal is to provide you with treatments - both surgical and non-surgical - to help you maximize your potential and get you back to doing what you love most: living your life to the fullest!

Similar to lower back pain, neck pain can result from an injury, years of stress, or disease. The pain stems from irritation of the medial branch nerves exiting the facet joints of the cervical region of the spine; this can be triggered by compression or fracture of the vertebrae. While facet joint injections can be useful treatments for the short-term, the real cause of the discomfort is neurological. Often, the best treatment is to prevent the affected nerves from sending pain signals to the brain - this can be done with cervical epidural block injections, but the relief is temporary.

Cervical facet radiofrequency neurotomy is a minimally-invasive procedure that can permanently disrupt an irritated nerve's ability to carry pain signals to the brain. With simply a local anesthetic, the tissue at the injection site is numbed down to the spinal column. Using the x-ray-like fluoroscope as a guide, the surgeon inserts a cannula - a thin, needle-like tube - very close to the irritated medial branch nerve. A radiofrequency electrode is then passed through the cannula.

The electrode emits weak electrical impulses to stimulate the nerve: if the patient's pain is recreated by this electrical stimulation, then the electrode is positioned in the correct spot. The electrode then heats and cauterizes the affected medial branch nerve, permanently preventing pain signaling to the brain.

Once the nerve has been successfully burned, the radiofrequency electrode and the cannula are carefully removed from the injection site. The injection site is covered with a small bandage, and the procedure is complete.

Within the first week following the procedure, the sensitivity of the area may be slightly more intense than that of the chronic pain; this is a result of the cauterization and the insertion of the cannula. Minor discomfort and slight swelling may occur around the injection site. A full recovery will be made within a month, and the patient's neck pain will be alleviated. The results last significantly longer than that of a steroid block injection.