Sorry if this is long and my thoughts are scattered.



2 weeks a go I had my first facet joint diagnostic with versed. I flet fine. Not groggy, didn't forget anything.

Pain in shoulder was gone by the time I got to the car - Cool! And next day, my left arm weakness was so much better. Didn't ache, and I could blow dry my haiR. LOL - that's a big deal to me as I have not been able to hold a hair dryer in that hand for almost a year.


Only thing was my neck was a little swollen and really sore. Well, stick a needle in it 5 times and hat do you expect?



And then I had another yesterday. I was expecting NOT another diagnostic. I thought he did one dx, then something else. So I must have gotten confused about something. Anyhoo...

Went okay again. But I didn't feel so good when I got home - like I was running a low grade temp, took a few doses of Advil through the afternoon and night. I normally wouldn't, but figured it might help the fever and and keep my neck from swelling which it did.

(just thought that might help somebody else)

But as I was leaving the clinic, the doc says next week I go back and have raido frequency.

I'm not ure what this one is about, if this is the one I thought I was having yesterday or what (facet joint injection).

Yikes, I thought I was getting 2 series of shgots, now I'm getting 4!



I deserve jewelry for this.



Anybody have this radio frequency care to comment?

Hello!

1st, I hope you start feeling better soon. I'm guessing by this time you have already had the procedure completed? If not, it's not as complicated as the name states. But when I heard what is done I became so scared. Much to my pleasure, it wasn't even a fraction of what I anticipated.

In the simplest of terms, they use a needle type thing that heats up and burns the tiny nerves that can cause pain. ( i couldn't feel it) For a lot of people it helps. For me it didn't because we found down the road I had something else going on. If you haven't had it done yet, look up Radiofrequency (RF) rhizotomy. You will find a lot of information, and it will explain it far more, and better, than what I can!

Good luck!
Jen

Brain,

It is as Java said...they will ablate the medial branch nerve. It is as fine as a human hair and runs for lack of a better description across the facet joint. The facet injections were done as you said for diagnositic purposes. And I believe the new rule of thumb is to have two sets of facet injections and THEN an RF. I was told this not too long ago and it is so the insurance company will pay for the RF...must be a reason why the insurance companies want a set of two.

Anyway, I had it done in my lumbar, one side, 3 levels. I didn't feel a thing and I don't remember a thing. I would do it over and over again! It gave me a year's worth of relief and I probably need to have it done again. But don't be afraid. I was terrified if you want to know the truth. But shoot, it was soooo easy I shouldn't have been as scared as I was. I know it is easy to say...but it was NOT bad at all! The key is to take it easy for a few days and put cold packs on the area for a few minutes at a time. My soreness was gone in two days and from then on out I had a new lumbar...sort of LOL! Oh, I did tell the doc I stumbled a little bit the first couple of days...like my leg would give out. But he said that was mostly due to the numbing medicine. It went away though and as I said...a whole year of pain relief!