Disc Denervation (DD), which may also be called radiofrequency ablation, is a pain management procedure for treating chronic discogenic pain such as chronic back pain, neck pain. A minimally invasive procedure, disc denervation uses focused electrical energy to heat and destroy the nerve causing pain, blocking the nerve from sending pain signals to the brain.

Disc Denervation is a pain management treatment for back pain, one of the most commonly occurring health problems in the United States. If you have chronic, unresponsive neck or back pain, you may be a good candidate for disc denervation

An advantage of disc denervation is that the treatment is controlled, minimizing the risk of damaging adjacent nerves and tissue. Disc denervation can be more effective in providing long term pain relief than nerve blocks or other types of injections. The goal is to reduce chronic pain that hasn’t improved with medications or physical therapy or when surgery isn’t an option. Also, if the pain recurs, the minimally invasive disc denervation treatment can be repeated.

Conditions Treated with Disc Denervation

Disc denervation can help patients who have disabling chronic pain, especially when conservative treatments have failed. It’s most useful in cases of back and neck pain, where the pain has been localized to the small facet joints in the spine.

Many types of chronic pain respond well to disc denervation, including pain caused by degenerative dic disease or herniated or bulging disc.