Lumbar Facet Radiofrequency Neurotomy in Palm Coast, FL

Once a diagnostic block has proven which facet joint is generating your back pain, there’s a way to act on that answer with something more durable than another injection.

What it treats

This procedure addresses pain arising from the facet joints of the lower back:

It sits at a specific point in the sequence: after the diagnosis is confirmed, and after shorter-acting options have shown they help but don’t hold.

How it works

Each facet joint in your lower back is supplied by small nerves called medial branches, whose principal job is carrying sensation from that joint. They supply no limb muscle and no skin sensation you rely on, which is what makes them a workable target — and why the nerve is tested before anything is treated.

Dr. Manuel López, a board-certified pain management and rehabilitation physician, positions a specialized needle alongside the medial branches serving the confirmed joint, under precise image guidance throughout. He uses stimulation testing to verify the tip is beside the intended sensory nerve and clear of nerves that control muscle, then passes radiofrequency current through the tip. The resulting heat creates a small, controlled lesion that interrupts the nerve’s ability to relay pain from that joint.

The arthritic joint itself is unchanged. What changes is the pain signal leaving it — which is why confirming the right joint beforehand, with a medial branch block, isn’t optional.

What to expect

This is an outpatient procedure; you go home the same day.

• Before: you’re positioned face down, and the skin over the treatment area is cleaned and numbed. You stay awake so you can respond during nerve testing.
• During: Dr. López positions the needles under imaging, performs stimulation testing at each site, numbs the area further, and applies the radiofrequency current to each targeted nerve.
• After: soreness in the treated area is common at first, and it can precede improvement. You’ll need someone to drive you home.

Relief here builds rather than switching on, so note what changes in the movements that used to provoke your pain — twisting, arching backward, standing up from a chair. That record is what your follow-up visit is built on.

Is it right for you?

You’re likely to be considered a candidate if:

• Medial branch blocks have confirmed your facet joints as the pain source
• Those blocks produced clear relief that then faded
• Your pain is axial — concentrated in the back itself, worse with twisting or arching backward — rather than shooting down a leg

This procedure treats facet joint pain specifically, so it isn’t the right tool for nerve root pain, and it isn’t offered before the diagnosis is confirmed. Active infection, bleeding disorders, and implanted electrical devices such as pacemakers all require review beforehand. Dr. López will explain plainly where you stand.

Ask whether you’re ready for this step

If blocks have already told you which joint is at fault, the next question is what to do about it. That conversation is worth having in person.

Call (386) 222-7746 or request an appointment.