Many Americans suffer from back pain. Sometimes, back pain comes from working too hard or exercising. On the other hand, there are medical conditions that cause back pain. For instance, facet joints can cause neck and back pain. These joints are located between vertebrae and work to keep the spine aligned. Over time, facet joint cartilage wears down. The loss of cartilage causes the vertebrae to be bone-on-bone. The resulting friction is very painful.
Doctors at Longevity Joint Spine Pain treat facet joint problems. Interested persons can browse the website and learn more. Interestingly, a numbing medicine is used to diagnose the problem. The medicine goes into the nerves near the joint. If the patient feels a dramatic drop in pain, the facet joint is causing the problem. Doctors use several different techniques to treat the condition. Pain medication and anti-inflammatories are used to ease the symptoms. Conservative treatment methods include physical therapy and steroid shots. Doctors may try Rf Ablasion Norman for some patients. This technique is minimally invasive and prolongs the need for back surgery. The procedure is widely known as radiofrequency ablasion.
Patients, who are lightly sedated, sit on a table with x-ray beam access. The doctor centers a catheter over the targeted facet joints. Several tests are run to make sure the catheter is in the correct position. Finally, radio signals send heat energy through the catheter. The heat treatment is about 80 degrees celsius and lasts for 90 seconds. Essentially, the nerves are burned to stop the pain. The benefits of Rf Ablasion Norman include,
1. being pain-free for 24 months
2. the procedure lasts longer than steroid treatment
3. there are few complications
4. patients use less pain medicine
5. patients are able to move better
6. the recovery time is very brief
One side effect patients have been muscle spasms. However, the spasms only last a short time. Other patients may have pain from the severed nerves. This pain usually goes away in a month or so. Back surgery is invasive and includes long recovery times. It makes sense to start with the simplest approach to facet joint pain. Contact Longevity Joint Spine Pain for more information.
