It’s not an overstatement of fact to say that chronic pain is bad for your health. Not only does the evidence of chronic pain show in premature aging, but it can also cause health decline, such as low immunity or loss of mobility. The traditional treatment for treating pain is through medication, but for those who aren’t benefiting from traditional pain management, a new solution may be effective. At Renew Health in Tempe, AZ, we believe that Stryker radiofrequency ablation is a good alternative treatment to traditional pain management.

What Is Stryker: Radiofrequency Ablation?

Stryker is a radiofrequency treatment that can significantly reduce pain severity and frequency for up to 12 months at a time. This is a minimally invasive treatment that destroys the nerve fibers that are responsible for transmitting pain signals to the brain. The ablation portion of this treatment comes from the way radiofrequency energy is used to injure or “burn” the nerve that is causing pain, which acts as an effective block against pain transmission.

How Does This Treatment Work?

The key to this treatment is the advanced Stryker device, which is used on the surface of the skin to deliver energy to the affected area of the body. During the treatment, you will lay on a table while topical numbing cream is applied to the intended treatment area. If you have had a nerve block before, then the procedure for this treatment will be very similar.

A thin hollow needle will be inserted into the treatment region, which will then be used to deliver the heating current to the nerve that is causing pain. The current passes through the needle to create a precise burn on the nerve that is about the size of a Q-tip. This burn will damage the portion of the nerve that is transmitting pain and disrupt the pain signals to the brain.

How Long Does This Treatment Take?

While actually burning the nerve sending pain signals takes about 90 seconds, your overall treatment may take about one hour or more depending on how many areas are being treated and the extent of your pain.

What Is Recovery Like?

After your treatment, you will be able to walk around and go back home, although someone will need to drive you. You will be able to go back to work after 24 to 72 hours after this treatment and you may engage in some other activities, including light exercise like walking.

When Can You Expect Results?

The results for your treatment will appear within 10 to 14 days after your treatment. Some people may experience immediate pain relief, while others may need up to three weeks to experience significant pain loss. You will need to attend follow-up appointments during your recovery period to assess the progress of your results. Most patients can expect a significant reduction in daily pain after this treatment.

The results of this treatment can last between nine and 24 months depending on the degree of the treatment and how quickly the nerve regrows after the treatment. Usually, nerve regrowth starts about six to 12 months after the initial treatment.

Can You Have This Treatment Multiple Times?

Yes, you can repeat this treatment as needed as long as the affected nerve is healed between treatments. Patients who experience successful pain reduction from this treatment may want to seriously consider future treatments when the results wear off.

What Can This Treat?

The Stryker system is commonly used to treat acute, chronic, and neurological pain caused by overwork, injury, or degenerative disease. This treatment can be used to treat back pain, neck pain, joint pain in the knee and pelvis, peripheral nerve pain, and arthritis in the spine that may be contributing to overall pain. This essentially means those who are experiencing chronic neurological pain in most areas of the body can benefit from this treatment.

Why Should You Consider This Treatment?

There are plenty of reasons to consider this treatment. For example, because this treatment is minimally invasive, it is considered relatively safe and has a very low risk of complications, including potential scarring. Other reasons to consider this treatment include:

Effective Alternative for Chronic Pain

This treatment has a 70 to 80% effectiveness rate for people who require nerve blocks to reduce pain. This treatment can adequately manage long-term pain, including acute pain from injuries, for significant periods of time. Stryker is often a preferred treatment for alternative pain management, particularly for those who have not found effective pain management from traditional solutions.

No Dependence on Medication

Patients who are looking for alternative treatments to medication-based pain management can benefit from this treatment. Many people who have chronic pain develop a reliance on pain relief medications that can cause other medical complications, such as chronic constipation. For those who want to stop or decrease the use of pain medications, this treatment can be helpful.

Regain Function

This treatment helps regain function, especially for those who need physical therapy to return to work or who are recovering from acute injuries. By using this treatment to block the signal of nerve pain, it can be easier to undergo occupational therapy and regain better daily function. This can include gaining a better range of motion and improved quality of life.

Long-Lasting Results

This treatment can produce pain-relieving results for several months. In fact, this treatment produces significantly longer results than traditional steroid injections and other nerve blocking treatments.

Who Are Good Candidates?

Candidates for this treatment include those who have had successful pain relief after diagnostic nerve block injections or previous nerve block treatments. This treatment can’t be used for patients who are currently pregnant or who have current infections. Other qualifications for this treatment can be determined during a consultation.

Resolve Your Pain With Radiofrequency Ablation

The Stryker radiofrequency ablation treatment is the best minimally-invasive, non-surgical alternative to traditional pain relief treatments. This treatment is particularly useful for those who have neurological pain and who have not benefited from other pain management techniques, including medications.