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A Review of Studies Using Radiofrequency for Neck and Back Pain
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Posted on: 10/12/2003
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How do you know if a treatment for neck or back pain works? You measure and study it. But not all research is alike. Study groups may not look at the same thing. For example, when it comes to spinal joint pain, there are joints in the neck, mid-back, and low back. It's hard to compare results if studies don't look at the same joints.
It's also hard to compare results if studies don't follow patients for the same length of time. Choosing the same kind of patients is also important. Having enough patients in the study, or a large enough sample size, is also a key feature in research.
The authors of this study tried to review and compare studies on radiofrequency (RF) to treat soft tissue pain problems. RF is a form of energy that heats up the tissue and destroys the nerve. They report on their findings in this article. First they searched for RF articles on-line at various medical libraries. They went back as far as 1966 and found seven studies. All seven were from the last eight years. Six were thought to be good enough to include.
None of the studies had a large sample size. Success was measured in different ways. For one study success was complete pain relief. For another at least 50 percent pain reduction was required. Overall, the studies didn't use the same measures, which made comparing them impossible.
Follow-up ranged from eight weeks to three months. None of the studies followed patients to see what happens after RF months to years later. No patient suffered any permanent problems from the treatment in any of the studies.
The reviewers say there is limited evidence that RF works. It gives short-term (less than three months) relief from chronic neck pain. This is true when the source of the pain is the joint. It doesn't seem to matter if a high or low temperature is used. Not as much can be said for the use of RF in chronic low back pain.
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References:
Leena Niemistö, MD, et al. Radiofrequency Denervation for Neck and Back Pain: A Systematic Review Within the Framework of the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group. In Spine. August 15, 2003. Vol. 28. No. 16. Pp. 1877-1888.
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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