Endoscopic rhizotomy is an outpatient procedure that treats chronic facet joint pain by interrupting the medial branch nerves carrying the pain signal. Through a small incision, an endoscope with a camera lets the physician see the nerve directly before treating it, which separates it from radiofrequency ablation, where the nerve is targeted using X-ray guidance alone. It is performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation. Candidates usually have neck or low back pain lasting longer than six weeks, partial relief from a diagnostic medial branch block, or pain that returned after an earlier percutaneous rhizotomy. Spine Institute of North America (Spine INA) in East Brunswick, New Jersey performs endoscopic rhizotomy for confirmed facet-mediated pain.
Endoscopic Rhizotomy for Chronic Neck and Back Pain
Endoscopic rhizotomy is a minimally invasive spinal procedure used to treat chronic pain originating from the facet joints of the spine. At the Spine Institute of North America, our providers use this technique to precisely identify and disrupt pain-transmitting nerves that cause persistent neck or back discomfort. This treatment can be effective in helping patients achieve long-term pain relief and improved function.
Who Is a Candidate?
An endoscopic rhizotomy procedure may be recommended for patients with chronic neck or lower back pain that has not improved with conservative treatments such as medication, physical therapy or injections.
Common conditions this procedure can help treat include:
- Chronic neck or lower back pain
- Facet joint arthritis or facet joint syndrome
- Recurrent lower back muscle spasms
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Spinal stiffness, tenderness, or reduced range of motion
