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Radiofrequency Ablation

Villanueva Institute of Pain and Spine

Radiofrequency Ablation in Burbank, CA | RFA

Radiofrequency ablation, also called RFA, may help certain patients with chronic neck, back, joint, or nerve-related pain when a specific pain source has been identified. If pain is limiting how you sit, stand, walk, sleep, work, drive, exercise, or move through daily life, RFA may offer a longer-lasting option after diagnostic injections have identified the source of the pain.

I’m Dr. John Villanueva, double board-certified in PM&R and interventional pain management. At the Villanueva Institute of Pain and Spine (VIPS), I take a close look at your symptoms, imaging, exam findings, past treatments, how you responded to diagnostic blocks, and the ways pain is limiting your daily life. Only then do I decide whether RFA is truly the right next step for your situation.

Many patients come to VIPS after trying medication, physical therapy, rest, injections, or other treatments without enough relief. Some have been told they have arthritis, facet joint pain, sacroiliac joint pain, chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, or pain after spine surgery, but still feel unsure about what to do next. My team and I are here to listen closely, explain your options clearly, and help you feel more confident about the path forward.

If you are looking for radiofrequency ablation in Burbank, CA, call VIPS at (818) 669-8895 or conveniently request an appointment online. We are located in Burbank and proudly serve patients visiting from Glendale, Pasadena, Van Nuys, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, Sun Valley, La Cañada, La Crescenta, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and communities throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles area.

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What Is Radiofrequency Ablation?

Radiofrequency ablation is an image-guided procedure that uses controlled heat energy to block selected nerves that carry pain signals. In pain management, RFA is often used after diagnostic injections confirm that certain nerves are likely contributing to chronic pain.

For spine-related pain, RFA is commonly used to target the medial branch nerves, which carry pain signals from the facet joints. These small joints are located along the back of the spine and can become painful due to arthritis, degeneration, prior injury, whiplash, altered mechanics, or pain after spine surgery.

Radiofrequency ablation does not remove arthritis, reverse degeneration, or permanently change the structure of the spine. Instead, it temporarily interrupts pain signals from carefully selected nerves. For properly selected patients, this may reduce pain enough to improve movement, activity tolerance, sleep, rehabilitation, and quality of life.

How Does Radiofrequency Ablation Work?

Radiofrequency ablation works by placing a specialized needle near the targeted pain-carrying nerve. Once the needle is positioned with imaging guidance, radiofrequency energy is used to create a controlled thermal lesion at the nerve.

That thermal effect reduces the nerve’s ability to send pain signals from the painful joint or region. Since nerves can regenerate over time, RFA is not usually considered permanent. However, it may provide longer-lasting relief than a temporary injection for patients whose pain pattern responds well to diagnostic blocks.

Your response to earlier diagnostic injections matters. If a medial branch block or another diagnostic block provides significant temporary relief, that information helps show whether RFA may be worth considering.

What Conditions Can Radiofrequency Ablation Help?

Radiofrequency ablation may be appropriate when chronic pain appears to be coming from specific joints or nerves that can be safely targeted. RFA is not designed for every type of neck or back pain. For example, pain traveling sharply down the arm or leg from an irritated spinal nerve may be better treated with an epidural steroid injection or selective nerve block. Pain from a disc, muscle, tendon, or unstable structural problem may require a different approach. That is why I take time to connect your symptoms, exam, imaging, and response to prior treatment before recommending RFA.

Conditions that may benefit from RFA include:

Radiofrequency Ablation and Diagnostic Blocks

Radiofrequency ablation is often considered after a diagnostic block has helped confirm the pain source. For facet-related spine pain, this usually means a medial branch block. For other areas, a different diagnostic block may be used.

A diagnostic block involves injecting a local anesthetic to temporarily numb the nerve that might be transmitting your pain. If that pain eases during the time the numbing is expected to last, it points to that specific nerve as a likely source. This result can help show whether radiofrequency ablation is a sensible option to consider next.

The block is temporary by design. The value is not only how long it lasts, but how much it changes the specific pain we are trying to evaluate. I will explain how to track your response so we can make the next decision with better information.

Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation may be performed in different regions of the spine depending on where the pain begins.

  • Cervical Radiofrequency Ablation: Cervical RFA targets selected nerves in the neck region. It may be considered when diagnostic blocks suggest that facet joints in the cervical spine are contributing to chronic neck pain, stiffness, shoulder-area discomfort, or certain headache patterns.
  • Thoracic Radiofrequency Ablation: Thoracic RFA targets selected nerves in the mid-back region. This may be considered when the thoracic facet joints appear to be contributing to chronic mid-back pain or pain that wraps around the rib or chest wall region.
  • Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation: Lumbar RFA targets selected nerves in the lower back. It may be considered when medial branch blocks suggest that lumbar facet joints are contributing to chronic low back pain, stiffness, pain with standing, or pain that worsens with twisting or bending backward.


The location of the procedure should match your symptoms, exam findings, imaging, and diagnostic block response.

How I Evaluate You Before Recommending Radiofrequency Ablation

Before recommending radiofrequency ablation, I want to understand where the pain is coming from and whether RFA is likely to help. Two patients may both have low back pain, but one may have facet joint pain, another may have nerve root irritation, another may have sacroiliac joint pain, and another may need a surgical opinion.

During your consultation, I may:

  • Hear about your pain history and the ways it limits everyday activities
  • Look over your prior records, current medications, earlier procedures, and any surgeries
  • Personally examine available imaging, including X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans
  • Carry out a physical and neurological exam
  • Consider how you responded to previous injections or diagnostic blocks
  • Suggest EMG/NCS testing if we need a closer look at nerve or muscle function
  • Walk through the pain sources that seem most likely and the reasons why
  • Talk about whether image-guided radiofrequency ablation could be a good next step for you


Written radiology reports are helpful, but the images themselves can show details that matter. Whenever possible, I prefer to review the actual imaging, so I can better understand your anatomy and choose the safest, most appropriate approach.

Good Candidates for Radiofrequency Ablation in Burbank, CA

You may be a good candidate for radiofrequency ablation if your symptoms, physical exam, imaging, and diagnostic block response suggest that specific nerves are carrying your pain.

Suitable candidates often have chronic neck or back pain that feels deep, aching, stiff, or mechanical. Pain may worsen with standing, walking, twisting, bending backward, getting out of a chair, or staying in one position for too long. Some patients have arthritis or degenerative changes on imaging, while others have persistent pain after injury, whiplash, or prior spine treatment.

RFA may be considered when conservative care, medication, physical therapy, or temporary injections have not provided enough lasting improvement. It may also be appropriate when a diagnostic block provides meaningful short-term relief, and the pattern supports a targetable pain source.

The best candidates understand that RFA is one part of a larger plan. Lasting improvement may also involve rehabilitation, activity changes, medication review, posture and mechanics work, or follow-up care.

Why Choose VIPS for Radiofrequency Ablation?

At VIPS, radiofrequency ablation is considered when your symptoms, exam, imaging, and diagnostic block response suggest that selected pain-carrying nerves may be contributing to your pain. The decision should be specific, explainable, and connected to what you are experiencing in daily life.

When you choose VIPS, you can expect:

I am double board-certified in PM&R and interventional pain management, which allows me to evaluate pain from both a functional and procedural perspective. My PM&R training helps me understand how pain affects movement, strength, daily activity, and rehabilitation, while my interventional pain training allows me to perform targeted procedures when appropriate. Beyond my double-board certifications, I am also a Certified Life Care Planner. This specialized training allows me to evaluate the long-term medical, rehabilitation, and future care needs of individuals with complex injuries and disabilities, further supporting my role as a medical-legal consultant and expert medical witness.

I review your symptoms, physical exam, imaging, medical history, prior treatments, and diagnostic block response before deciding whether RFA is likely to help.

I use fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance when appropriate for targeted procedures rather than blind injections. Image guidance helps confirm placement and supports a more controlled procedure.

The target nerves, treatment levels, approach, and follow-up plan should not be automatic. I tailor those decisions based on your diagnosis, anatomy, prior treatment response, and overall care plan.

If radiofrequency ablation makes sense, I will explain why. If another treatment, such as an epidural steroid injection, nerve block, medial branch block, facet joint injection, medication management, rehabilitation, or surgery, is more appropriate, I will tell you directly.

Many patients come to VIPS after feeling rushed, dismissed, or unsure where to turn next. My team and I want you to feel heard, informed, and comfortable asking questions before any procedure is performed.

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What Happens During Radiofrequency Ablation?

Before the procedure, I review your symptoms, imaging, medical history, diagnostic block response, and treatment plan so you understand why RFA is being recommended. My team will also review preparation instructions, medication guidance, and what to expect during your visit.

During the procedure, our team will position you so that I can safely access the targeted area. Your skin will be cleaned, and a local anesthetic may be used to numb the area. I then use imaging guidance to direct the RFA needle to the intended nerve target.

Once the needle is positioned, radiofrequency energy is delivered to create a controlled thermal lesion. Depending on the treatment area and number of nerves being targeted, the procedure time can vary. Your full visit may take longer due to preparation, monitoring, and discharge instructions.

After the procedure, you may be monitored for a short time before going home. I will give you instructions about activity, medications, and what symptoms to watch for after the procedure.

What Should You Expect After Radiofrequency Ablation?

Some patients notice improvement within days, while others need more time. It is also possible to feel soreness, tenderness, or a temporary increase in discomfort near the treated area before symptoms begin to improve.

Since RFA works differently than a numbing injection, relief is not always immediate. The treated nerves need time to quiet down, and the surrounding tissue may feel irritated for a short period after the procedure.

I will explain what is expected, what should be monitored, and when to contact the office. Your follow-up care may include activity guidance, rehabilitation planning, medication review, or additional evaluation depending on your response.

How Long Do Radiofrequency Ablation Results Last?

The duration of relief from radiofrequency ablation varies. Some patients experience improvement for several months or longer, while others have a shorter or more limited response. Results depend on the diagnosis, treatment area, accuracy of the target, your anatomy, your activity level, and how your body responds.

Because nerves can regenerate, pain may return over time. If RFA provides meaningful relief and the pain later comes back in a similar pattern, repeat treatment may be considered when appropriate.

For some patients, RFA helps reduce pain enough to move more comfortably, participate in physical therapy, sleep better, or return to daily activities with less constant planning around pain.

Radiofrequency Ablation and Your Broader Treatment Plan

Radiofrequency ablation often works best as part of a larger treatment plan. Depending on your condition, that plan may include physical therapy, rehabilitation planning, medication management, activity changes, diagnostic testing, or coordination with another specialist.

If your pain is coming from facet joints or another targetable nerve pathway, RFA may be useful. If your pain is coming from irritated spinal nerves, discs, muscles, sacroiliac joints, peripheral nerves, or another source, a different approach may make more sense.

At VIPS, I look at your symptoms, exam, imaging, medical history, prior treatments, and goals together. If image-guided RFA may help, I will explain why. If your imaging or neurological findings suggest that surgery should be considered, I will tell you directly.

Radiofrequency Ablation FAQs

To schedule a radiofrequency ablation consultation in Burbank, CA, call (818) 669-8895 or contact VIPS online today. The right care may help you spend less of each day planning around pain and more of it living with comfort, confidence, and peace of mind.

No. A medial branch block is a diagnostic injection that temporarily numbs the medial branch nerves to see whether they are carrying pain from the facet joints. Radiofrequency ablation uses controlled heat energy to quiet those selected nerves for a longer period of time when the diagnostic block response supports treatment.

Yes, RFA may help certain patients with chronic back pain when the pain is coming from the facet joints or another targetable nerve pathway. If your pain is mainly caused by a herniated disc, irritated spinal nerve, muscle strain, or another source, a different treatment may be more appropriate.

It may help when chronic neck pain is related to cervical facet joints and diagnostic blocks show that the medial branch nerves are involved. Cervical RFA may also be considered for certain headache patterns when the upper cervical joints or nerves appear to contribute to symptoms.

Yes. At VIPS, RFA is performed with imaging guidance when appropriate. Fluoroscopy, which provides live X-ray guidance, helps guide placement near the intended nerve target.

In many cases, yes. For facet-related spine pain, medial branch blocks are commonly used before RFA to help confirm that the facet joints and medial branch nerves are likely contributing to your pain. Your response to the block helps guide whether RFA makes sense.

Sometimes. RFA may help manage pain without surgery when a nonsurgical plan is medically appropriate. However, it is not a replacement for surgery when surgery is truly the better option. If your imaging, neurological exam, or symptoms suggest that a surgical opinion should be considered, I will tell you directly.

Most patients tolerate the procedure well. You may feel pressure, brief discomfort, or soreness near the treatment area. Local anesthetic may be used to help numb the area, and my team will explain what to expect before the procedure begins.

If RFA does not provide meaningful relief, that information is still useful. It may mean the pain is coming from another source, the diagnosis needs to be reconsidered, or a different treatment plan is needed. I will review your response with you and discuss the next appropriate step.

The cost of radiofrequency ablation in Burbank can vary depending on the treatment area, number of levels or nerves treated, procedure setting, and insurance benefits. During your consultation, my team can help you understand what information may be needed for scheduling, authorization, and cost review.

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