Many of you know that I have been
suffering from occipital neuralgia for several years, and have tried
everything from physical therapy to acupuncture (you can read more about my acupuncture journey here) to trigger point
injections to facet joint injections.
The next step is a procedure called a
radiofrequency nerve ablation (here is a medical link that explains the procedure). Basically this means that I will get
the nerves in my neck burned off...it sounds way worse than it
actually is, at least according to my doctor. Here's the catch, in
order for medical insurance to pay for the radiofrequency nerve
ablation, I first need to have two identical, successful facet joint
procedures done.
I had my first set of injections done
in Nov 2013 (which I documented here, here, and here), and another
done just a few weeks ago. The first time I had facet joint
injections, the procedure almost gave me a panic attack, I was pretty
sore for many days after, and they didn't give me the lasting pain
relief that I had hoped for. I did not want to try them again, even
though my doctor wanted me to give them another shot (pun intended!).
The problem is that the facet
injections I had done a few weeks ago were done at different points
in my neck in hopes that I would get better results. And the results
were better this time around, but the pain relief only lasted about a
week. Doc says that as long as I got relief, even for a short amount
of time, that the chances of the radiofrequency nerve ablation neck
procedure working are much better. That really is a mouthful.
So, today I go for my second (even
though it's really my third overall) round of facet joint injections,
in the adjusted spots. Wish me luck! I'll try to document these and
report back. The really short version of the procedure from a few
weeks ago...I was sore for a few days, but overall it was a much
easier procedure (less painful) and quicker recovery. My doc prescribed valium for my anxiety, which helped a lot, and I have another prescription for today's visit :) Let's hope the relative ease of last time wasn't a fluke and I get similar results this time!
Wishing you the best of luck. Hope all goes well for you and are pain free soon.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get some long lasting relief
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the luck in the world. TheHubs had the radio ablation done for several years until they no longer worked. Apparently there is too much scar tissue now. Still trying to get this VA thing going. We're looking at ketamine infusions next.
ReplyDeleteJamie Dement (LadyJai)
Caring for My Veteran
Hi Katie! I'm sorry to hear that you have to go through all that pain. I hope you can find relief soon! Take care.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping the injections aren't so bad and that the insurance okays your radiofrequency ablation very soon! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI read up on both occipital neuralgia (which I'd never heard of before meeting you) and the two treatments you mention here, and my respect for you has tripled. Kudos, girl. Here's to a better-than-positive outcome and a speedy recovery! Looking forward to your updates.
ReplyDeleteGuilie @ Life In Dogs
Here's hoping for you! Since the car accident, I have lower back and neck issues, so I feel your pain. I'm praying this will be a solution for you.
ReplyDelete