I think they do this to confuse us, but...I think in the end they are trying to achieve the same goal, deaden the nerve, but they may go about in different ways.

Just as in the article they call it "Facet joint rhizotomy or medial branch neurotomy."

Neurotomy means the surgical severing of a nerve while Rhizotomy means resection of the dorsal root of a spinal nerve to relieve pain and sometimes to decrease spasms. Ablation is the amputation, excision of any part of the body, or the removal of ... This is all according to Mosby's Medical Dictionary...but then it depends how they are going to do this..


This procedure can be done using two different methods. I was offered both and both are deemed effective.

One method was described in the article I posted and the other is by cryoablation. During this procedure cold is used and is described here:


cryoneurolysis/cryoablation: a technique that relieves pain by using cold to destroy nerve tissue.


Radiofrequency nerve ablation is the term used when radio waves are generated and used to produce heat. By generating heat around a nerve, the nerves ability to transmit pain is destroyed, thus ablating the nerve.


Rhizotomy- surgical severance of spinal nerve roots to relieve pain or hypertension.

Severance can be performed by cryoneurolysis/cryoablation and radiofrequency nerve ablation. These are two methods of deadening the nerve tissue and stopping the pain. The nerve is severed during these procedures.

I think the argument on the forum (Braintalk1) (I feel like I am referring to a Dr. Seuss book) was that there is not enough evidence to support using this procedure on spinal patients. There are studies and they do support that pain does subside in some people. The problem with all of this is that these procedures were used on cancer patients and the cancer patients were terminally ill so correct me if I am wrong...we do not know the long term side effects of these procedures because unfortunately the cancer patients died. The one side effect with all of this is that the nerves grow back. When they do, you tend to have more pain because the nerves look much like the branch of a tree because they have been severed..You can go through the procedure again in hopes of finding relief. ..I hope I am explaining this correctly...and if not someone please feel inclined to correct me...I will not be angry...and if Doc W is around...someone please have him explain the pros and cons...He knows better than any of us...

I just decided that this was not for me...My OSS at Pennsylvania Hospital did my cervical fusion. He thought this procedure would not help me...I asked my pain management doctor and he nixed it as well...That was two docs, so I respectfully declined the procedure and went for surgery...The spinal blocks did not work for me either...