A new ‘minimally invasive’ treatment provides long-term relief from crippling back pain, according to new research.
The majority of patients in a trial were pain-free after receiving a new image-guided pulsed radiofrequency treatment for low back pain and sciatica for just ten minutes.
Low back pain is an extremely common problem that affects at least four out of five people at some point in their lifetime.
Most is short-term, but about one in five people affected by acute low back pain go on to develop chronic low back pain lasting a year or more, a large proportion of whom suffer from a compressed herniated disk in which the rubbery cushion between vertebrae irritate nearby nerves.
Under the new approach, a needle was guided towards the location of a bulging disc and nerve root with the help of CT imaging.
A probe was then inserted through the needle tip and delivers pulsed radiofrequency energy to the affected area.
Of the 80 patients treated, 81 per cent were pain free one year after a single 10-minute treatment session.
Six patients required a second pulsed radiofrequency session. Ninety per cent of the patients were able to avoid surgical treatment.
Dr Alessandro Napoli, who led the study at Sapienza University in Italy, said: “The probe delivers a gentle electrical energy, so there’s no thermal damage.
“The results have been extraordinary.
“Patients have been relieved of pain and resumed their normal activities within a day.”
Normal treatments for this kind of lower back pain include exercise and medication.
