Get to Know the Endoscopic Rhizotomy Procedure

Get to Know the Endoscopic Rhizotomy Procedure

This content was medically reviewed by Baher S. Yanni, MD, on June 20th, 2017.

Back pain can be exceptionally difficult to deal with. This is especially common when we’re talking about nerve pain. Nerve pain causes regular difficulty and can even be debilitating, but can also be very difficult to treat. Anything with the spine can be scary to think about. Some specialists may recommend fusion, or other open surgeries that carry high risks with potentially minimal reward. If you had the choice between an open surgery to fuse vertebrae or an endoscopic surgery that directly addresses the cause of your pain, which would you choose?

If you suffer from:

• Back pain that has continued for more than six weeks
• Muscle spasms
• Pain when leaning backwards, but not when leaning forward

Then you may be a good candidate for an endoscopic rhizotomy procedure in order to help alleviate or eliminate your back pain.

What is an endoscopic rhizotomy?

For individuals who suffer from back pain associated with the spinal facet joints, and endoscopic rhizotomy may be a good alternative to surgery.

Each vertebrae in the spine has a complex architecture in order to protect the spinal cord.Where the vertebrae connect between one another is a facet joint. These facet joints allow your spine to move and be flexible, while also allowing branches of the spinal cord to travel to other parts of the body.Sometimes nerves will get pinched or restricted due to the facet joints and cause an individual a substantial amount of pain. While there are other diagnosis options, and less invasive treatment options, an endoscopic rhizotomy can help stop the nerve pain and provide a long-term solution.

Prior to an endoscopic rhizotomy, a spinal specialist will often opt for steroid injections, nerve blocks, and even percutaneous rhizotomy procedures. If the percutaneous procedure seems to help, the next step is to do the endoscopic procedure in order to avoid multiple percutaneous procedures.

For the endoscopic rhizotomy procedure, your doctor will insert a small, specialized instrument into a tiny incision. This instrument allows the doctor to visualize the area of inflammation and the nerves in that area. Once the problematic nerves have been identified, the doctor will use the same tool to ablate the nerves around the facet joint, providing relief. Often, nerves above and below a specific facet joint will need to be ablated in order to work properly. Recovery is quick and you should notice improvement promptly.

Benefits of an Endoscopic Rhizotomy

The benefits to this procedure can be substantial. Most patients find relief for anywhere from three to five years. In addition, because it is a minimally invasive spine surgery, you will have minimal downtime and lower risks than with other spinal surgeries. In fact, you won’t even need stitches for the tiny entry points for this procedure, a bandage over each entrance point.

Here at the Spine INA, we specialize in being able to help patients with their back pain in minimally invasive ways. Our job is to help you regain your quality of life and get you moving once again. Learn more about your treatment options from the doctors at Spine INA in New Jersey. Schedule your appointment today!