Johns Hopkins Researchers Back Up Radiofrequency Ablation
Jun 14, 2018
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Dr. Nikesh Seth and the team at Integrated Pain Consultants have long offered and recommended radiofrequency ablation as a treatment for nerve pain, and now mainstream researchers are catching up. In April 2018, News Medical Life Sciences reported on.....
Dr. Nikesh Seth and the team at Integrated Pain Consultants have long offered and recommended radiofrequency ablation as a treatment for nerve pain, and now mainstream researchers are catching up. In April 2018, News Medical Life Sciences reported on recent research at Johns Hopkins University using rats and computer models to showcase how direct electric current can target nerves to block pain signals. Also known as radiofrequency ablation, this technique requires no drugs for pain management and leaves all other sensations in normal working order.
RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION FOR NERVE PAIN
According to the researchers, the experiments complement the search for better-implanted devices to lessen chronic pain related to nerve damage and disease. Dr. Gene Fridman, an assistant professor of otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) as well as biomedical engineering at the university’s School of Medicine, says the concept is to take current radiofrequency ablation techniques and move them towards a neural implant model.
Right now, a permanent implant isn’t available. However, that doesn’t mean patients can’t enjoy nerve pain relief with in-office radiofrequency ablation. Previously, it was thought that neural implants were unsafe, but the experiments at Johns Hopkins University may prove otherwise. It’s been over 30 years since peripheral nerve stimulators were developed, and there has been a lot of progress since then. In the early days, side effects such as numbness were common. Today, radiofrequency ablation can be achieved without such severe side effects—and soon enough, perhaps neural implants will be approved.
Electrical stimulation, whether via radiofrequency ablation as is available today or the future of neural implants, works by changing how nerve cells process pain signals. We might still be years away from safe and effective neural implants that utilize electrical currents to block pain signals, but patients with nerve pain don’t have to wait for relief. Most patients only require an appointment every six to twelve months, with a single radiofrequency ablation session offering long-term pain management.
RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION – CALL DR. NIKESH SETH TODAY
Contact the board certified experts including Dr. Nikesh Seth at Integrated Pain Consultants at 480-626-2552 to find out more about your nerve pain treatment options. We can help.