Your Health, Our Priority

When people hear the words “radiofrequency treatment,” one of the first questions they ask is whether it burns the nerve. In many cases, the answer is no. Pulsed Radiofrequency (PRF) is a specialised treatment that works in a very different way. Rather than damaging the nerve, it delivers carefully controlled pulses of electrical energy designed to modify the way pain signals are transmitted, while preserving the nerve itself.

Pulsed radiofrequency is most commonly used for persistent nerve pain, particularly when a nerve has become irritated or over-sensitive following injury, inflammation or surgery. It may be appropriate for conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, peripheral neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, cervical and lumbar nerve root pain, and selected cases of chronic pelvic or post-surgical pain. Following a thorough assessment, I will determine whether this treatment is likely to benefit your particular condition.

The procedure is performed as a day case using either X-ray (fluoroscopic) or ultrasound guidance, depending on the nerve being treated. After the skin has been numbed with local anaesthetic, a fine specialist needle is carefully positioned next to the target nerve. Before treatment begins, gentle sensory and motor stimulation is carried out to confirm the needle is accurately positioned while remaining safely away from important motor fibres. This careful testing is one of the reasons the procedure is both precise and safe.

Once the correct position has been confirmed, the radiofrequency generator delivers short pulses of electrical energy over several minutes. Unlike conventional radiofrequency treatment, the temperature remains low enough to avoid destroying the nerve, instead altering the abnormal pain signalling that has developed. Most patients describe the procedure as 

comfortable, with little more than mild pressure or occasional tingling during treatment.

As with many interventional pain procedures, improvement is often gradual. Some patients notice a benefit within days, whilst for others the effects develop over several weeks as the nerve becomes less sensitive. The aim is to reduce pain, improve function, lessen reliance on medication and allow you to participate more fully in rehabilitation and everyday activities.

Pulsed radiofrequency is not suitable for every type of pain, but for carefully selected patients it can provide meaningful and lasting relief while preserving normal nerve function. It is particularly valuable when we want to calm an irritated nerve without permanently interrupting its normal activity.

Every procedure I perform is tailored to the individual. My priority is to understand the cause of your pain before recommending treatment, ensuring that any intervention is evidence-based, accurately targeted and forms part of a comprehensive plan to help you regain movement, confidence and quality of life.