Occipital Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Chronic headaches & migraines are burdensome, but here at Solutions In Pain these chronic headaches & migraines can be treated with excellent precision & efficacy through blocking the pain signals associated with headaches & migraines. These pain signals travel across the sensory occipital nerves: greater & lesser. Therefore our clinic offers patients who have demonstrated significant improvement in headaches & migraines following a minimum of two Occipital Nerve Block treatments a remarkable procedure known as Occipital Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): a short 10-15 minute procedure where we can effectively target these sensory occipital nerves with a carefully delivered electric current produced by a radio wave. This electric current heats a small area of the nervous tissue where pain signals are created and this allows us to effectively block or interrupt the signals that cause pain from communicating with the brain thereby substantially reducing the pain of those who suffer from chronic headaches & migraines..
Clinical Indications For This Procedure:
Occipital Neuralgia
Other Neuropathic Disorders
Chronic Migraines
Cluster Headaches
Other Headache Disorders
Successful Completion Of Serial Occipital Nerve Blocks With Clinically Satisfactory Results
What To Expect From Your Procedure
You will arrive at our clinic 15 minutes prior to your appointment with a designated driver where we will educate you at length on the benefits & risks of the procedure. After this discussion we will then have you sign a consent form and you will subsequently be positioned in preparation for the procedure.
Chloraprep will then be used to clean the procedural site & surrounding skin to help decrease chances of infection. The procedure site will then be identified under fluoroscopic guidance. Once the site is appropriately identified an injection of a numbing medication called lidocaine will be administered to numb the procedural site & surrounding skin. Once the lidocaine has settled the sensory greater & lesser occipital nerves will be injected with a cocktail consisting of anesthetic (bupivacaine) and steroid (kenalog). This cocktail disperses and bathes the nerves & surrounding structures providing optimal pain relief for the following radiofrequency ablation. Once the medications have settled in we will proceed with radiofrequency ablation. This process will only take a few minutes. Following completion of the procedure you will then be assessed & observed for an additional 10-15 minutes following completion of the procedure to ensure your safety and then scheduled for post-procedural follow up by our staff.
What To Expect After Procedure
Substantial reduction in chronic headaches & migraines
Pain relief ranging from days to 3-12 months
Acute short term mild swelling or pain around the injection site
Risks Associated With Occipital Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Misplacement of the needle
Unexpected bleeding
Drug allergies
Infection
Nerve damage
Worsening pain
