Rhizotomy for Posterior Facet Blocks Q&A

The success rate of a rhizotomy is very high with around 90% of patients who have undergone the procedure experiencing relief for their back pain that lasts up to 5 years. The remaining 10% will either experience a shorter timeline for pain relief or not really experiencing any relief following the procedure, but the results are fairly favorable especially compared to other pain relief treatments available. There are three different methods for completing the procedure that may provide different results on different patients, so the specialist that is performing the procedure will choose the method that they expertly determine will be the most effective for each individual patient.

While the actual procedure does not take very long, often only taking 30 minutes for the physician to complete, rhizotomy procedures are typically outpatient, allowing for patients to head home within an hour or two once the procedure is completed. The procedure requires for patients to be put under anaesthesia, so there is a waiting period at the treatment centre to ensure that the patient has no adverse reactions to the anesthetic. Most patients are able to return back to participating in their normal activities or go back to work the day following the procedure, and will fully recover within a few weeks. During this time, the patient will likely be instructed to go to physical therapy to strengthen the core and back muscles to further support recovery. It is common to experience some swelling, bruising, or pain around the site of surgery, the degree to which may impact how quickly patients are able to return to work and regular exercise.

Since there are several methods to choose from when performing a rhizotomy, there are several different health care professionals that are able to perform the procedure. Depending on the method used (which is determined by the type of pain that is being treated), a rhizotomy can be a spine surgery, or a non-surgical procedure, so it can be performed by a spine surgeon, an anesthesia pain specialist, a neurosurgeon, or a spine physician that is non-operative. The goal of the procedure is to destroy the nerve fibres that are resulting in the experienced pain, so the healthcare provider that is performing the procedure needs to be an expert in nerves and pain as these are fairly precise procedures that done wrong could just lead to more pain rather than diminishing it. Other types of physicians may recommend the procedure depending on the cause of the pain including arthritis, degenerative spine conditions, spasticity, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and other conditions that have an effect on the peripheral nerves.

While a rhizotomy is likely to offer alleviation of nerve pain that will last for multiple years, the procedure is done by damaging the nerves that are causing the pain, making it so that they are no longer able to signal the pain. Eventually, those nerves will repair themselves, allowing them to be able to transmit the pain signals again, at which point many patients who found significant long-term relief from the procedure previously will opt to undergo the procedure again. There is no real limit to how many times the procedure can be re-performed if it is deemed a safe and effective option for the individual patient. If it is an effective means for treating chronic pain, patients are able to undergo another rhizotomy once the effects have started to wear off, as often as every 6 months if necessary.

Do you want to get rid of the chronic discomfort caused by posterior facet blocks? Discover the transforming effects of rhizotomy at the Global Neuro & Spine Institute, a specialist technique designed to provide long-term relief and improve your quality of life. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Orlando FL, Conway FL, Edgewood FL, Jensen Beach FL, Ocean Breeze FL, Rio FL, Palm Bay FL, Malabar FL, Melbourne FL, Atlantis FL, Palm Springs FL, Boynton Beach FL, Fort Pierce FL, White City FL, St Lucie FL, Plantation FL, Pine Island Ridge FL, Lauderhill FL, Winter Park FL, Bertha FL, Alafaya FL and surrounding areas.