Nerve Pain Relief Without the Scalpel: What to Know About Rhizotomy

Your nerves play a critical role in connecting your body and your brain. They’re what allow you to feel the world around you. Your nerves send signals to your brain, allowing you to sense both pleasant sensations (the warm sun on your skin) and painful ones (the sensation of touching a hot stove). Those painful sensations provide warning, allowing you to change your behavior to protect yourself (for example, pulling your hand away from the stove). 

At least, that’s how nerves work in their ideal state. But that nerve tissue can start sending pain signals even when there’s no imminent danger. That can lead to chronic pain that’s difficult to relieve.

Fortunately, our team can intervene in nerve-related pain using a treatment called rhizotomy. More good news: this kind of care doesn’t require you to go under the knife. If you’ve been experiencing persistent pain, visit one of our Anchor Spine and Joint offices in Tampa, Riverview, Pinellas Park, Odessa, or Lutz, Florida. We can help you determine if this minimally invasive treatment could be right for you. 

How rhizotomy works to address pain

During a rhizotomy, your provider damages the nerve that’s sending those persistent pain signals to your brain. That makes it effective for everything from arthritis to herniated discs. 

While some rhizotomies are performed via surgical cutting, our team performs this treatment without a scalpel. Instead, we use either radiofrequency ablation or glycerin to damage the nerve root. The heat created by radiofrequency ablation prevents the treated nerve from sending pain signals. Similarly, glycerin damages the nerve so it stops sending painful sensations to your brain. 

Sometimes, our team uses a device called an endoscope during rhizotomies. The endoscope is a thin tube with a tiny camera on the end. Inserting this through a very small incision allows us to see where we’re working so we can best target the problem nerve tissue. 

To confirm that you’re a good candidate for rhizotomy, we generally recommend applying a nerve block first. If that diagnostic nerve block gives you relief, it shows that interrupting that specific nerve’s pain signaling with a rhizotomy should ease your pain. 

What to expect with rhizotomy

We perform rhizotomy as an outpatient procedure. You won’t need to go under for it, either. Instead, we numb the treatment area with local anesthesia. 

Once you’re numb, the procedure itself takes just a few minutes. We either inject the glycerin or apply the radiofrequency ablation using a thin needle. 

You’ll probably be sore around the injection site for a few days. Most people get back to work after a couple of days.

Sometimes, the pain briefly gets worse before it gets better. You should start getting relief within a couple of weeks. 

In some people, the rhizotomy interrupts the pain signals for about six months. Others get relief that lasts several years. 

If you’re looking for a way to put a stop to your nerve pain, come in and talk with our team about this minimally invasive treatment option. To schedule a rhizotomy consultation, call the Anchor Spine and Joint office nearest you or book your appointment online by simply clicking the blue “Request an Appointment” button on our site.