Yesterday morning, I had a procedure done in my lumbar spine called Radio Frequency Thermocoagulation (RFTC).
To catch you up, I have two herniated discs in between the vertebrae L4-L5 and L5-S1. Since 2016, I’ve had multiple procedures done to mitigate muscles spasms and low back pain. To date, the longest lasting procedure has been burning the nerves at the facets of the problem vertebrae – with a record of 9 months without pain. The lesions creates eventually heal, and the pain returns.
This common procedure was called Radiofrequency Ablation(RFA) by my precious doctors in Columbia, SC. My new pain doctor calls it Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation.
The Difference Between the Two
While the results are the same, each of my RFA procedures were performed over two appointments: the left side on one day of the week then the right side 7 days after. The process involves numbing the area with small needles squeezing a numbing agent into the area that would be burned. The numbing needles were the worse part of the procedure; they hurt so damn bad.
The procedure I had yesterday zapped both sides in one sitting, AND I was treated to some sedation. No numbing needles. No griping the table and grinding my teeth until a numbing agent started doing its job. Nope.
The RFTC is clearly a superior procedure. Hopefully, I’ll break my 9 month record of going without pain.
With the exception of some tenderness, I feel f***kin fantastic, Friend!