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What Is Cervical Medial Branch Rhizotomy?

Cervical medial branch rhizotomy is a treatment for people who have facet joint syndrome in the cervical spine, or neck. The syndrome, which also commonly affects the lower back, is often caused by injury or aging.

  1. Facet Joints

    • Each vertebra of the neck and spine has a pair of facet joints that connect the bones together. Facet joint syndrome is inflammation and pain in the facet joints.

    Medial Branch Nerves

    • A medial branch nerve controls sensation to a facet joint. Medial branch nerves are responsible for the pain experienced by people with facet joint syndrome.

    Rhizotomy

    • Radiofrequency rhizotomy, or RF neurotomy, is a procedure in which a doctor uses a needle-like probe to burn (cauterize) a medial nerve root with an electric current to block the pain signals from reaching the brain.

    Summary

    • A cervical medial branch rhizotomy involves precisely burning a medial branch nerve in the neck that is causing facet joint pain. According to the SpineUniverse website, the procedure is typically done on patients who have had several injections of steroid medication into the affected joints, which helps pinpoint the source of the pain.

    Variation

    • SpineUniverse reports that a variation of cervical medial branch rhizotomy uses a technology called pulsed radiofrequency to stun the nerve rather than burn it, but the effects may not last as long.

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