Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to interrupt the small medial branch nerves that carry pain signals from an arthritic facet joint. The joint itself is unchanged; what changes is whether it can report pain to you.
In Denver this procedure is performed in office at Northglenn. It is placed under live X-ray guidance rather than by feel. Where a clinic does not perform a procedure on site, your care is coordinated to one that does.
It suits pain that sits in the spine rather than travelling down a limb, is worse leaning back and easier sitting forward, and has not settled with therapy and medication. The deciding test is diagnostic medial branch blocks: if numbing those nerves does not relieve the pain, ablation is not offered.
Nobody is offered a procedure at a first appointment. The first visit is an examination and a plan; the procedure is consented and scheduled separately, and most plans require prior authorization first, which we arrange.
You lie face down and the skin is numbed. Under live X-ray guidance, thin insulated needles are positioned beside the medial branch nerves, and the position is tested electrically before any heat is applied. The whole thing usually takes between thirty and sixty minutes.
You go home afterwards rather than staying overnight. Arrange a lift if you would rather not drive.
The first week or two is often sore. Relief usually arrives between two and six weeks rather than immediately, because the treated nerves have to stop transmitting and the irritation from the procedure has to settle.
Whatever the result, it is information. A good response confirms the source of the pain; a poor one usually means the pain is coming from somewhere else, and that changes the plan rather than ending it.
We accept most major insurance plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. These procedures generally require prior authorization, which we arrange, and benefits are verified before anything is scheduled.
Read more about radiofrequency ablation or Pain Management in Denver.
Every clinic below has Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and Pain Management on one chart, so care can move between them without a new referral.
Downtown out through the north, west, south and east suburbs.
Academy, Interquest and Tenderfoot cover the north, central and south of the city.
Harmony in Fort Collins and our Greeley clinic serve Larimer and Weld counties.
Across the Valley, from the West Valley through Phoenix to the East Valley.
In office at our Northglenn clinic.
No referral is needed to be evaluated. The procedure itself is scheduled after an assessment, and most insurance plans require prior authorization, which we arrange.
No. The first visit is an examination and a plan. Procedures are consented and scheduled separately.
The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic. You are awake, and being awake is useful because you can tell the physician what you feel.
The procedure itself takes a few minutes to under an hour depending on what is being treated. Allow longer for preparation and a short rest afterwards.
Often yes, but not always. You will be told in advance, so arrange a lift if you would rather not find out on the day.
We accept most major plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. Prior authorization is usually required and we arrange it.
That is useful information rather than a dead end. It usually means the pain is coming from a different structure, which changes the plan.
Radiofrequency Ablation is performed in office at our Northglenn clinic. No referral is needed to be evaluated, and appointments are usually available within the same week.
