This procedure treats a painful nerve in one of your vertebrae (those are the bones that make up your spine). The nerve is heated to stop it from sending pain signals. We do this for pain that doesn't go away with other treatments.
To begin, you lie on your stomach. You may be given medicine to make you feel relaxed. We numb the skin and tissue of your lower back. Next, we use a fluoroscope (a video x-ray device) to guide a tube called a "cannula" to your spine. We press the cannula to a portion of the vertebra called the "pedicle." Then, we make a channel through the pedicle and into the body of the vertebra. This is where the basivertebral nerve is found. It carries pain signals from the upper and lower surfaces of the vertebra to your brain.
Now it's time to treat the nerve. We do this with a radiofrequency probe (we call it an "RF" probe) that goes through the cannula. This probe uses radiofrequency energy to make heat. The heat destroys part of the nerve, stopping the pain signals. We call this "nerve ablation."
When we're done, we bandage your skin. We watch you in a recovery room for a brief time. Then, you can go home. Follow your care plan for a safe recovery.