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RF Ablation

I have had this procedure 2 times and am getting it next Monday myself (4 levels on both sides). The first time I got it, it helped amazingly. During the procedure I had some sedation, but remeraber the entire thing. I was asked questions to give the Dr. feedback during the procedure so he could be as accurate as possible.I had to change Drs. and got it again, a year later (last summer). It did not help me at all. He put me in a heavier sedation, therefore not asking for my feedback. I am sure he didnt get the correct spots. This NEW Dr. that I am using for my 3rd time is going to ask me questions for feedback the whole time, so I have high hopes for this one. The last 2 Drs. did one side at a time, so I had to come back twice, which was a pain. This Dr. is doing it all at once. Make sure you are going to answer questions and not put out. That is my biggest piece of advice. The first one I recuperated very very quickly. The 2nd moron dr. must have really did a job on me, because he made me worse. I have researched this procedure a lot and the standard is to ask the patient for feedback during the procedure. I should have known that last quack Dr. was going to do a bad job. In my initial consultation he spent 45 mins. debating health care reform with me as he left other pain patients to wait. OY

RF Ablation

Hi! I have had the RF done a total of 4 or 5 times over the years. My doctor said you can continue to repeat this procedure, as long as nothing else goes wrong (I guess he means like a bad herniation). I have a form of arthritis in the spine called "spondylitis," which is kind of like rheumatoid arthritis, but mostly concentrates in the spine. It affects the facet joints, L3-L5 and my sacroiliac joints. I also have a bulging disc (degenerated) at L5-S1. I have not had any back surgery, just the RF and cortisone injections.

One thing about the levels-my doctor said it is best to do the level above the one you are having pain in as well, because the pain nerves intertwine. So, I have arthritis at L5-S1 and L4-L5, but he burns L3 as well because there are pain nerves from L3 that send signals to L4. Does that make sense? I don't know if I am explaining that super clearly. It seems very usual to have L5-L3 done together if you have more than one level involved. You might ask your doctor about that-you are right, it is very important to get the right levels done, or you might be left with pain. My doctor also does both sides, even though most all my inflammation (as seen on MRI) is on the left side.

Let me know if you have more questions-unfortunately, I have had too much experience with this procedure Take care, Kera 4

RF Ablation

Dear Lynn, I totally understand about having to rest after the RF, and looking at all the stuff in your house that neeRAB to be done. It is SO frustrating! I always would rest for a while then get up and do what I could, then rest again....aaargh. Sometimes I would lay on my back on the couch and fold a bunch of laundry, with the basket on the floor. After a RF, my kiRAB know to come right to the couch for help with homework or to read/play games. Hang in there, every few days the area that was burned is healing, and you will feel a bit better. After a couple weeks of recovery, I always feel a lot better. And then by one month after the procedure it is pretty good. Good luck to everyone, and have a restful weekend Kera4

RF Ablation

The only thing I was ever told after getting any type of injections was that there was a risk of infection if you went in the water, but it was OK after 48 hrs. I will make sure and ask!

RF Ablation

thank you Kera, for explaining. It makes much sense now. The doc did say the pain could be coming from the tears and the facet joints < if I remeraber right> It is very frustrating to me....I am usually a very active person. Not only is it frustrating, it is very depressing. I am doing everything the doctors suggest, yet I feel this is getting hopeless. I know I havent given this RF abalation enough time yet. Just so aggravated today.I sit here and look around and see so many things I need to do and I do what I can but there is so much more to be done in my house

RF Ablation

Hi Lynn,
I had mine on Monday. I was felt much better immediately and rested from Monday to Thurs. On Fri. I went out and did a ton of erranRAB. Now today I am much more sore in my lower back. (oy). I guess I should still take it easy. I am going to go back to Aquacise on Monday...but go much easier than normal. I feel like I really need to move from lying around so much. The pisser here is that now my neck is killing me again. I had a C5-7 fusion on in Jan of '07 and I think I was so tense during the rhizotomy, that I torqued my neck and upper back. It doesnt take much to get that neck aggravated. So I am so busy putting ice on my lower back and heat on the neck and upper back. I know the neck issue is from that one level that still has bone spurs and arthritis, that was not fused. Sometimes its so overwhelming.....the neck AND the back stuff. I want to be able to substitute half days again. I also have the whammy of chronic sinusitis...and whenever I get a cold...it goes right to my sinuses...100% of the time. I know I am crazy to go back into a classroom, but I need to make some $$$. Last year I got sick last Oct. (form the kiRAB of course) and it turned into a 2 month sinus infection like you wouldnt believe (steroiRAB...CAT Scans....antibiotics, anti-fungals). I think I cant fight them off like I used to because I am 52. I supposed this will be the year I decide whether this is IT for me in elem. classrooms.

RF Ablation

SKZ, thats wonderful. I'll pray that your hip pain does not come back.

Lynn, I get up every morning at 5 a.m. so I can be at work by 7:30 a.m. I have to sit and have a cup of coffee and watch the news for the first hour so my sciatica pain settles down a bit. I have an office job and can get up and walk around whenever I need to. By the time I get home from work and fix dinner for my husband and myself I can hardly walk and when I sit down its like sitting on an electric shock chair for the first few minutes.

I know what you mean about trying to do anything. I try to clean a little at a time because I can't stand on my feet too long or my back is killing me. I agree, it is depressing. I'm just hoping to get over this soon.

I will stop driving whenever I feel I need to get off my butt and walk around a while. Thanks for all of your advice.

I will pray for all of us.

RF Ablation

Good morning! The disc issues and the facet joints are related-you can have pain/damage in both. The way my doctor explained, when a disc becomes torn or degenerated/bulging, the small joints on the sides of the discs (facet joints) become overworked. This leaRAB to inflammation in these facet joints, and over time they wear down and you get arthritis there. So, the trick is to figure out where the pain is coming from. I remeraber I started out having epidural injections near my bulging disc, but that did not take enough pain away. Then, when I was injected in the facet joints it took MUCH more pain away, which led to the RF or rhizotomy. The rhizotomy works well if a lot of your pain is coming from the facet joints. Most of us have pain coming from several sources, so the rhizotomy should help with at least some of the pain. I know how frustrating it can be-I spent over a year getting injections, MRI, discogram before we did the rhizotomy. Oh, my doctor is a Physiatrist specializing in the spine, and he has done all my rhizotomies. I am very lucky to have him-he is the best, and has made a big difference in my life. Hope everyone has a good day......Kera4

RF Ablation

Lynn, I had my RF the same day as you and I have not had any relief as yet either. The only relief is from my pain meRAB and they just take the edge off. I was not given anything to relax me for the procedure. It hurt but it could have been worse or lasted longer. I am still icing a few times a day and taking pain meRAB regularly. I think my sciatica has gotten worse since the procedure. There are times I just have to stop in my tracks until the sciatica pain eases before I can move again. I keep thinking I should call the doctors office about the pain and then a little voice in my head keeps telling me he said you could feel worse before you start feeling better. He also said it could take 4 to 6 weeks for the nerves to completely die. So I guess I'll wait (if I can) til my appt. on 9/24 and see what he says.

I am driving to Camdenton, MO next Monday (3 hr. drive) to stay with my GrandkiRAB and take them back and forth to school while their parents go to San Francisco for 3 days. They are 9 and 15 so I think I'll be okay.

Let me know when you start feeling better. Hope it is soon.

RF Ablation

I'm going in for the same procedure tomorrow. What I would like to know is how are you feeling now?? Did it decreease your pain???