When Is it Used?

• Cervical facet rhizotomy is used when other available treatments for the neck pain, such as steroid and lidocaine injections, prove ineffective.
  
  

Procedure

• The rhizotomy procedure involves numbing the area of skin over the joint and then inserting a specialized needle into the joint using x-rays for guidance. Heat is then applied to the nerve endings and the needle is withdrawn.
  
  

Function

• The function of the procedure is to kill the nerve ending. By killing the nerve it can no longer transmit pain signals to the brain.
  
  

Post Procedure

• Anesthetic use requires a second person to drive the patient home and normal activities are typically resumed within one to two days. Occasionally, minor post-procedural pain occurs and is treated with medication.
  
  

Future

• While the rhizotomy procedures typically employ heat to kill the nerves, spineuniverse.com reports that a newer alternative uses electrical pulses to render the nerves incapable of transmitting signals without causes permanent damage.