What Is Nerve Ablation?
Nerve ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that provides longer-lasting relief from chronic shoulder pain by interrupting the nerves that transmit pain signals from the shoulder joint.
Unlike a nerve block, which temporarily numbs the nerves, nerve ablation uses targeted heat (radiofrequency ablation) or cold (cryoablation) to disrupt pain signals for a longer period of time. The goal is to reduce chronic pain while preserving shoulder function.
Nerve ablation is typically considered after a successful nerve block demonstrates that specific nerves are contributing to a patient's shoulder pain.
How Does Nerve Ablation Work?
Nerves around the shoulder joint carry pain signals from inflamed or damaged tissues to the brain. Nerve ablation targets these specific sensory nerves and interrupts their ability to transmit pain signals. Because the treatment focuses on the source of pain transmission, many patients experience significant pain reduction while maintaining shoulder mobility and function.
Two primary nerve ablation techniques may be used for chronic shoulder pain.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation uses controlled heat to treat the targeted nerve. A specialized probe delivers thermal energy to the nerve, creating a controlled interruption of pain signaling. Radiofrequency ablation is commonly used to provide longer-lasting pain relief for chronic shoulder conditions.
Cryoablation
Cryoablation uses extremely cold temperatures to treat the targeted nerve. The cold energy temporarily disrupts the nerve's ability to send pain signals while preserving surrounding structures. Cryoablation may be recommended for selected patients based on their symptoms, anatomy, and treatment goals.
Who Can Benefit
You may be a candidate for nerve ablation if you:
- Have chronic shoulder pain that has not improved with conservative treatment.
- Have persistent pain despite physical therapy, medications, or injections.
- Experience pain that affects sleep, work, exercise, or daily activities.
- Have adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).
- Have rotator cuff tendinopathy.
- Have shoulder arthritis or other chronic shoulder conditions.
- Experienced meaningful pain relief after a diagnostic nerve block.
- Want to avoid surgery or delay surgical treatment.
A successful nerve block is typically performed before nerve ablation to confirm that the targeted nerves are responsible for the pain.
What to Expect
Before the procedure
Before treatment, you will meet with an interventional radiologist to review your symptoms, imaging studies, previous treatments, and response to any prior nerve blocks. Your physician will determine which nerves are contributing to your pain and whether radiofrequency ablation or cryoablation is the most appropriate approach.
During the procedure
Nerve ablation is typically performed as an outpatient procedure using image guidance. During treatment:
- The skin is cleaned and prepared.
- Imaging guidance is used to identify the targeted nerve.
- A specialized probe is positioned near the nerve.
- Heat (radiofrequency ablation) or cold (cryoablation) is applied to interrupt pain transmission.
The procedure is minimally invasive and does not require surgical incisions.
After the procedure
Most patients return home the same day. Some patients begin to notice pain relief within the first week. For others, the full benefit develops gradually over two to four weeks as the treated nerves stop transmitting pain signals.
Your physician will provide individualized instructions regarding activity levels, rehabilitation, and follow-up care.
Benefits of Nerve Ablation
Longer-Lasting Pain Relief
Nerve ablation is designed to provide longer-lasting relief than a temporary nerve block. Many patients experience sustained improvement because the treated nerves can no longer transmit pain signals effectively.
Improved Sleep and Daily Function
Reducing chronic shoulder pain may improve sleep quality, physical function, and participation in everyday activities. Patients often report greater comfort with reaching, lifting, dressing, and other movements that were previously limited by pain.
Minimally Invasive Alternative to Surgery
Nerve ablation is performed through a small needle-based approach and does not require open surgery. For many patients, nerve ablation offers meaningful symptom relief while avoiding the recovery associated with surgical procedures.
Can Be Combined With Other Treatments
Nerve ablation can be used as part of a personalized treatment plan. For example, some patients benefit from transarterial embolization (TAE) to reduce inflammation and nerve ablation to address persistent pain signals. Combining treatments may provide broader symptom relief for selected patients.
How Long Does Nerve Ablation Last?
The duration of relief varies depending on the patient, the underlying shoulder condition, and the nerves treated. In general, nerve ablation provides longer-lasting pain relief than a nerve block because it interrupts pain transmission rather than temporarily numbing the nerve. The procedure is often selected when a diagnostic nerve block has demonstrated that targeting specific nerves is likely to provide meaningful benefit.
What Is the Difference Between a Nerve Block and Nerve Ablation?
A nerve block uses numbing medication to temporarily interrupt pain signals and help identify the source of pain. Nerve ablation uses heat or cold energy to create a longer-lasting interruption of those same pain signals.
Many patients undergo a nerve block first. If the nerve block provides significant relief, nerve ablation may be recommended as the next step for longer-term pain management.
Why Choose UHealth for Minimally Invasive Shoulder Pain Treatment?
Chronic shoulder pain can affect every aspect of daily life, from sleep and work to exercise and routine activities. At UHealth, our Interventional Radiology team offers advanced, minimally invasive treatment options for patients who have not found relief with physical therapy, medications, or injections.
Our goal is to identify the source of your pain and create a personalized treatment plan that helps restore function, improve mobility, and reduce discomfort.
Specialized Expertise in Image-Guided Procedures. Your care is provided by interventional radiologists with specialized training in minimally invasive, image-guided treatments. Using advanced imaging technology, our physicians can precisely target the blood vessels and nerves that contribute to chronic shoulder pain while minimizing disruption to surrounding tissues.
Personalized Treatment Planning. Not all shoulder pain has the same cause. Conditions such as adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), rotator cuff tendinopathy, and shoulder arthritis may require different treatment approaches. Our team carefully reviews your symptoms, medical history, prior treatments, and imaging studies to determine which procedure — or combination of procedures — may provide the greatest benefit.
Comprehensive Minimally Invasive Treatment Options. UHealth offers multiple minimally invasive treatment options for chronic shoulder pain, including transarterial embolization (TAE), diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, and cryoablation. Because these treatments address different causes of pain and inflammation, patients may benefit from a customized treatment strategy designed around their individual condition and goals.
Focused on Function, Mobility, and Quality of Life. Successful treatment involves more than reducing pain. Our team focuses on helping patients improve shoulder mobility, return to daily activities, participate in physical therapy more comfortably, and regain the ability to perform tasks that chronic shoulder pain may have limited.
Minimally Invasive Alternatives to Surgery. Many patients seek treatment because they want to avoid surgery or are not candidates for surgical intervention. Minimally invasive procedures such as TAE, nerve blocks, and nerve ablation may provide meaningful symptom relief without the recovery associated with major shoulder surgery. These outpatient procedures are designed to help patients return home the same day and resume normal activities as directed by their physician.
Take the Next Step
If chronic shoulder pain is preventing you from sleeping, working, exercising, or enjoying the activities you love, a minimally invasive treatment may be an option. Schedule a consultation with a UHealth interventional radiologist to learn whether transarterial embolization (TAE), a nerve block, or nerve ablation may be right for you.
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