Your joints are wrapped in a complex network of small nerves that report pain, pressure, and movement to your brain. When a joint is damaged by arthritis, wear, or a past injury, those nerves can become overly sensitized — and keep sending pain signals even after the original injury has healed.
That’s when chronic joint pain comes in, and why some people feel pain long after the initial problem should have resolved. If you’ve tried stretching, medications, and joint injections without lasting relief, you might be starting to wonder whether this pain will simply be part of your life from now on.
It doesn’t have to be. Radiofrequency ablation is another option for people with chronic joint pain, and our team at Interventional Spine and Pain Institute can help you decide if it’s a good choice for your pain and your lifestyle.
If we suspect your chronic joint pain stems from nerves, we might recommend a diagnostic nerve block. A nerve block is an injection that temporarily numbs the nerves serving a painful joint, and if your pain noticeably improves after the block, that helps confirm those specific nerves are contributing to your symptoms.
Radiofrequency ablation builds on that information. Rather than simply numbing the nerve for a few hours, the procedure uses controlled heat to disrupt the nerve’s ability to carry pain signals for a much longer period. It’s a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure, and it can be effective for people with nerve-related chronic joint pain.
Radiofrequency ablation tends to work best when your pain clearly comes from a specific joint or group of nerves, when you have responded positively to a diagnostic block, and when conservative treatments such as physical therapy and medications haven’t provided lasting relief.
The procedure is not appropriate for every type of joint pain. Pain caused mainly by a structural problem such as a herniated disc pressing on a nerve, or pain that stems from muscles rather than joints, may need a different approach.
Before making a treatment recommendation, we do a thorough evaluation to pinpoint the source of your pain and review the results of your diagnostic nerve block. We’ll also consider your imaging results, overall health, and any blood-thinning medications you take.
Radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure that takes between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on how many nerves we treat. You start by lying down on an exam table, and we cleanse and numb your skin with local anesthesia.
We use fluoroscopy, a type of live X-ray imaging, to guide a thin needle to the targeted nerves. You might feel pressure as the needle is placed, but the process is designed to keep you comfortable throughout.
Once the needle is in the correct position, a small electrode delivers radiofrequency energy that heats the nerve tissue to a carefully controlled temperature. You may feel warmth or sensation during this step. If we’re treating more than one nerve, we repeat the process until we’ve addressed every nerve.
You go home the same day, though you’ll need someone to drive you if you receive general sedation.
Soreness at the needle site is common for a few days, and some people notice temporary increased discomfort in the treated area. Over-the-counter pain relievers and ice can help during this period, and most people return to light daily activities within a day or two and resume normal routines within about a week.
Pain relief develops gradually over the following weeks as the treated nerves stop transmitting pain signals. Relief can last for several months, and some people experience benefits for a year or longer. When pain eventually returns, we may be able to repeat the procedure, so keeping track of how long your relief lasts is helpful information when making that decision.
If chronic joint pain has been limiting you and you’re tired of temporary fixes, radiofrequency ablation may be worth exploring. Contact Interventional Spine and Pain Institute to schedule an evaluation, and let our team determine whether this approach fits your specific needs and your goals.
