Re: Radio frequency/nerve regeneration

[Guest guest]

Hello I'm in my 3rd year of RFA and my doc told me that eventually the

procedure would be difficult to do because after so many burnings the nerves

will grow back in different routes and ways making it harder for the doc to

find and burn. she also said that instead of one nerve growing back

several small ones could come in making them difficult to find. I hope

this helps.

>Ellen wrote:

My doctor told me there is a chance that the nerve can grow back in about a year

and could need to have the ablation again. But, I am only in the testing phase.

[Guest guest]

R. wrote:

> Hello I'm in my 3rd year of RFA and my doc told me that eventually the

> procedure would be difficult to do because after so many burnings the nerves

> will grow back in different routes and ways making it harder for the doc to

> find and burn. she also said that instead of one nerve growing back

> several small ones could come in making them difficult to find. I hope

> this helps.

The nerves do grow back on different routes. The radio frequency

treatments can remain effective, if the doctor pokes around a bit extra

to find out how things have changed. It's a little painful finding the

altered path, but, for me anyway, the treatments remain effective. I

think I'm on my eighth year. Of course, to find the new routes, a

person can't have much in the way of pain medication in his/her system

as we need to be able to tell the doctor exactly what we're feeling.

One thing that can happen is that scar tissue may build up around the

normal burn site. (It is a burn after all, so that makes sense). That

can make it harder to have a successful treatment. Of course, too much

scar tissue and the whole treatment becomes moot.

I'm hoping for at least a few more years of relief from the treatment.

It's such a bizarre treatment, that I always call it " The Dark Ages

meets modern medicine. " A few years ago, I got the doctor to print off

a couple of the fluoroscope pictures for me (with the very long needle

inserted and showing). I scanned one in to my computer and sent it to

some of my friends and family. My brother said just thinking about it

made him feel sick to his stomach. :-)

Lyndi

[Guest guest]

I am so glad, Lyndi, that you responded. I just received some bad news about a

disk in my thoracic spine which is causing MORE pain. The V.A. I feel really

doesn't care about the patients with chronic pain and they are hoping we die off

quickly.

I just moved to CA and the treatment here is more one on one but the docs still

have the same attitude - " you have back pain and

you're going to for the rest of your life; there's nothing we can do but treat

the pain. "

The pain doc here is a lot nicer but she was like " oh well " . I am and was scared

of the future and the pain. I just had some of my meds changed but I am still

broken about the pain that's to come. I

feel hopeless

Lyndi wrote:

The nerves do grow back on different routes. The radio frequency

treatments can remain effective, if the doctor pokes around a bit extra

to find out how things have changed. It's a little painful finding the

altered path, but, for me anyway, the treatments remain effective. I

think I'm on my eighth year.