Radiofrequency Ablations

As the demand for pain treatment has grown in recent years, Kentucky Pain Institute and Spurlock Chiropractic Centre provides a unique blend of medical and chiropractic treatment options for people in the Morehead region of Kentucky. Patients no longer have to self-diagnose in order to schedule an appointment with a medical doctor or a chiropractor. You can leave that to our staff to move you in the right direction toward a less painful day-to-day lifestyle. Suffering with pain is exhausting and can seriously impact your physical activities and your mental health. We are proud of our integrated approach to the pain of our patients and often hear that our care has given their lives back to them.

One of the simplest and most effective procedures we do at our clinic is the performance of radiofrequency ablations (sometimes referred to as rhizotomy). If you are experiencing pain in your back (cervical, thoracic or lumbar), sacroiliac or arthritic joint pain, these are conditions for which radiofrequency ablation is often the appropriate solution. Generally well-tolerated by patients and with very few complications, radiofrequency ablation is frequently the go-to recommendation for pain relief. Studies have demonstrated that the vast majority of patients treated with radiofrequency ablation are relieved of their pain.

Radiofrequency ablation accomplishes long-term, temporary pain relief with an electrical current produced by a radio wave heating up a small portion of nerve tissue, hampering the nerve’s path to the brain, disabling pain signals from the point where pain is triggered. At Kentucky Pain Institute, typically we will perform an initial test to zero in on exactly which nerves are causing your pain. We will inject a numbing medication into precise spots and if you feel immediate pain relief, we will know that we have correctly identified the nerves to target in your radiofrequency ablation.

When you undergo radiofrequency ablation, your doctor, using local anesthesia, will insert a small needle into the area where you are feeling pain. Through the use of fluoroscopy, your doctor will guide a microelectrode through the needle to begin the nerve stimulation process. This will help to determine that the needle is in the correct location. Once confirmed, a small currency is sent into the surrounding tissue, causing the nerve to heat and lose its ability to transmit pain. You will not find this to be uncomfortable. After radiofrequency ablation, you will be observed briefly and sent home with a small bandage on the site. You will have slight restrictions for 24-48 hours: no driving or strenuous activity. You can shower but not bathe. Given that the right nerves have been treated, you will begin to feel your pain ease as the nerve heals over the next several weeks.

It is our goal at Kentucky Pain Institute to partner with you to a better way of living. We will perform diagnostics that will give us a clear picture of what is causing your pain and develop a plan to help reduce your pain. We are cautious and we are thorough.

It is clear that we are living in a time when there is far too much access to opioids and you can rest assured that our approach to reducing pain does not involve the irresponsible prescribing of medications that can lead to substance abuse and addiction. Radiofrequency ablations done at Kentucky Pain Institute will contribute to your wellness without putting you at risk with easily-abused medication. Call us today at (606)784-1115 or Toll-Free (800)318-4444 and talk with us about your pain. We are anxious to deliver safe care and pain relief, close to home, and help you to return to your functional, enjoyable life.