Knee Procedure Eases Arthritis Pain Without Surgery.

South Central Pain Center is offering a Procedure for Knee Arthritis to Ease Pain Without Surgery

A non-invasive knee procedure could bring some relief for patients suffering from debilitating chronic pain, for whom surgery is not an option. The treatment, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is called genicular radiofrequency ablation and is a less drastic option for people with moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain who are not ready to have knee replacement surgery, or who have health conditions that do not make them a good candidate for surgery.

Rayhan Tariq, MD
Pain Management Specialist
South Central Pain Center

Rayhan Tariq, MD, Pain Management Specialist states, “There are actually four pain nerves that carry most of the pain sensation in the knee itself and if we could actually target pain coming out of these 4 specific pain nerves we could actually treat the pain from the knee at its source.”

Genicular radiofrequency ablation uses radiofrequency to target and mute the nerves responsible for sending pain signals from the arthritic knee to the brain. The procedure does not repair arthritis in the knee, but eases the pain, helping patients go back to activities without discomfort and fewer medications.

“Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure where we use a special kind of a needle to do a very targeted source treatment of the pain,” said Dr. Tariq.  “In this needle we apply electricity and at the tip of the needle the electricity generates a small area of heat.  So, we put the tip of needle right where the pain nerve is so we can in essence burn off the pain nerve.  Essentially, we can treat the pain at its source.”

Following the procedure, there is no recovery period, no cutting. “Compared to traditional surgeries, it minimizes the side effects or risks from the procedure,” said. Dr. Tariq.

For patients to qualify for the procedure, Dr. Tariq will assess the pain and provide a test block. This allows the patient to experience firsthand the type of pain relief they will receive after having a radiofrequency ablation.

“There are very few procedures in medicine where a patient can test out a procedure before they have it completed,” said Dr. Tariq. “This is very advantageous for the patient.”

At South Central Pain Center, we recognize how difficult and challenging it can be to live with chronic pain. Accurate diagnosis is essential for the most favorable treatment outcomes. Dr. Tariq is highly skilled at assessing the patients’ pain generators and providing comprehensive treatment options. Many pain clinics rely only on pain medications that limit patients’ quality of life because of side effects. Our goal at South Central Pain Center is to help you get back to your everyday life using minimally invasive procedures to minimize pain and reduce reliance on opioid medications.

To learn more about pain management services available, visit SouthCentralPain.com or call 601-425-7500. The facility is located at 1002 Jefferson Street, Suite 300, in Laurel.