Cervicalgia or neck pain lasts from days to years. It depends on the case. The common causes may include:
- physical strain
- poor posture
- mental stress
- osteoarthritis
- spinal stenosis
- herniated disk
- pinched nerve
- tumors
Neck pain is called cervicalgia, a pain around the spine under the head. The neck is known as the cervical spine. The neck pain is a common symptom of different injuries and medical conditions. You may have radicular neck pain and axial neck pain. Chronic or acute pain can be addressed by radiofrequency ablation for neck pain.
Neck pain interferes with daily activities and lessens the quality of life if left untreated. Luckily, most causes of neck pain are not serious and treated with conservative treatments, such as:
- Pain medicine
- Exercise
- Stress management
What is the feeling of neck pain?
Some people describe neck pain as:
- Stabbing pain
- Burning pain
- Persistent ache
- Shooting pain
The pain travels from the back to the arms or shoulders. The symptoms of neck pain are:
- Headache
- Numbness or tingling feeling in the arms or shoulders
- Unable to turn the neck or tilt the head
Radiofrequency ablation for cervicalgia
In radiofrequency ablation, the doctor uses imaging like an ultrasound to find the right place, and a radiofrequency probe is inserted. The probe is inserted into the body near the nerves being targeted. The probe delivers frequency waves, causing cells in the surrounding tissue to be destroyed. The immune system removes the dead cells that shrink the growth or stop the nerves from sending pain signals.
Radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure, which doesn’t need general anesthesia. Radiofrequency can be used for the following health conditions:
- malignant tumors and benign
- Types of vein issues (chronic venous insufficiency)
- thyroid nodules
- neck pain and chronic pain
Is pain possible to feel during recovery?
Most people will experience some discomfort after radiofrequency ablation. There could be soreness and swelling where the needle is inserted or feels like a sunburn. The post-procedure pain must not be severe. Most cases respond to OTC pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
There are reasons you may experience longer-lasting pain that can worsen after radiofrequency ablation:
- The recovery takes at least three weeks to get full pain-relief effects
- The level of pain felt after the ablation depends on why you had the procedure.
- Recovery time varies, from person to person, and it depends on the purpose of the procedure.
The pain in most cases goes away within 1-2 weeks of having the procedure.
