title: Pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of patients with chronic neuropathic spinal pain.
abstract: In recent years there has been debate among spinal surgeons, neurosurgeons and pain physicians regarding the efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation when treating patients with a neuropathic pain source. It is usually considered as a treatment option after conservative treatment has failed. Twenty-eight patients with a minimal follow-up of 1 year were examined in our institution after they had undergone pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) procedures due to neuropathic spinal pain. Nineteen patients (68 %) reported long-term pain relief (more than 1 year) which was defined as a reduction of the visual analogue score by at least 30 %. No complications were found in this study except for mild discomfort in the treated area which spontaneously resolved up to 3 weeks after the procedure. We concluded that PRF is a safe and an effective procedure for patients who suffer from chronic neuropathic pain from spinal origin. It should be tried after conservative treatment has failed.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Care Unit, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, and Tel-Aviv Sackler Medical School, Israel. drshabat@hotmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shabat
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pevsner
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Folman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gepstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001416:Back Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004598:Electrosurgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000628:therapy*; D000078702:Radiofrequency Therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019051:Rhizotomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome