Living with chronic pain can affect every part of your life — from your work and daily activities to your mood and ability to sleep soundly at night. And while many people find relief with conservative care like medication and physical therapy, the truth is that first-line treatments like these aren’t always enough.
Eric Fanaee, MD, and our team focus on pain management solutions that target pain at its source, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the treatments that can make a real difference for people with chronic back pain or neck pain.
Here’s a look at what RFA is, how it works, and a few of the most common reasons Dr. Fanaee recommends it to our patients.
RFA is a minimally invasive procedure that uses focused heat generated by radio waves to interrupt pain signals traveling from specific nerves to your brain. By targeting the small sensory nerves that transmit pain, RFA can help reduce persistent symptoms without the need for major surgery or long-term medication use.
During the procedure, Dr. Fanaee uses guided imaging, such as fluoroscopy, to precisely place a thin needle near the target nerve. He applies radiofrequency energy to the nerve, which damages it and diminishes its ability to send pain signals.
Recovery after RFA is generally quick. You may experience mild soreness at the procedure site for a day or two, but many patients report noticeable pain relief within a few days to a couple of weeks. Relief often lasts six months or longer — sometimes even a year or more.
RFA isn’t a first-line treatment for all types of pain, and Dr. Fanaee and our team typically start by recommending noninvasive treatments. However, when certain conditions persist despite conservative care, RFA can offer meaningful, long-lasting relief. We might recommend considering RFA if:
One of the most frequent applications of RFA is for facet joint-related pain. Facet joints are small stabilizing joints in your spine that can become painful due to degeneration, arthritis, or repetitive strain.
RFA might be a good option for you if you experience chronic pain that’s localized to your neck or lower back that increases with certain movements but doesn’t radiate like pain from a pinched nerve.
To determine if you’re a good candidate for RFA, Dr. Fanaee may do a diagnostic medial branch block. This procedure involves injections that numb the same nerves targeted by RFA, and many patients who get significant short-term relief from diagnostic injections are good candidates for RFA.
Before recommending RFA, our team typically explores conservative measures like:
For some patients, these treatments help significantly. But when pain persists or returns, RFA may be a logical next step — especially for pain that’s clearly localized and nerve-driven. RFA is generally most effective if your pain is chronic (lasting 3 months or more) and linked to a specific, identifiable source like small sensory nerves near joints.
Chronic pain doesn’t have to limit you. If you haven’t found lasting relief from other treatments, RFA could be the solution that delivers meaningful improvement — both for your pain level and your quality of life.
Dr. Fanaee and our team evaluate your pain history, diagnostic findings, and personal goals. If you’re a good candidate for RFA, we guide you through what to expect before, during, and after the procedure.
Ready to learn more? Contact us today to get started by scheduling an appointment to see Dr. Fanaee at one of our locations in Bellmore, Smithtown, or West Islip, New York.
