My pain management doctor has suggested two treatments for low back pain due to arthritis and a bulging disc. He wants to do a diagnostic medial branch block and later on a a lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy.

Has anyone had these treatments and what can you tell me about them?
Thanks,
Sandy Kay

Good Morning
I am an early riser...I see you were up early too....perhaps with worry. Please just give this a day for your questions to be answered.....Mark and Rae will for sure direct you to places for info and many will give you their own personal views.
I just wanted to greet you and let you know the calvary is on the way with much support.
Johanna*

Well Hey RAE, Cavalry!!! Got it?

Rae has, probably more so than anyone among us, been more keenly of Calvary perspective for She Loves Horses! Yeah, there was even a horse, PJ, among her group named for me...... proud I felt. Never had a horse named after me.

Oh my, I digress....... anyway, SANDY, how's the west coast? A Branch Block and a Radiofrequency Neurotomy sound serious, and yet I have known friends here in the area who have had radiofrequency ablation then wondered why I never had it because it was so successful for them. Pure and simple, it was a matter of Doc thinking "Nah, not right for Mark." That was it. Yet, I know people who swear by it....... for a while, then they are having some other procedure performed.

A Block of any kind is going to involve injection of medicine to numb the nerve at the pain source, and will provide help for a while if it works. The doggone thing never worked on me, that is except for the Bier Block which was done in my shoulder to allow wakeful surgery on my right hand for the third surgery on that hand. It definitely worked for surgery, as I looked over at that discolored lump of flesh on the table extension and found wondered why Doc was working on it since he was supposed to be working on my hand.

The reason for the illustration, that Block worked so tremendously well at that time and for those hours I had no clue my hand and wrist were laid out there before me in multicolor technicolor glory..... but it was pretty cool to watch.

The only word which occurs to me with the references you give is Temporary. Maybe ask your Doc how prognosis looks for patients similarly treated since you are wondering about what to expect.

Prayin all will be well with you Sandy,
Mark56, and thank you Johanna! You caught my attention!zz

Gosh! You've got MY ears perked up! I don't know anything about these procedures, but I used the 'search' feature up top along that bar and see that there are other discussions out there.
Here's a thread that hits on the radiofrequency and it got me excited because it mentions how good it works in getting under the skin to relieve SPASMS! I am still haunted by these @%#&!!! things!

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...urotomy&page=2

I'll be watching this thread like a hawk, as this sounds very interesting.

Here's an informative link to Diag medial branch block:
http://www.seacoastpain.com/patient_...ed_consent.htm

Rae
Yes! Mark, Bringin on the Calvary!!!