FACET JOINT INJURIES – RADIOFREQUENCY NEUROTOMY, RHIZOTOMY

FACET JOINT INJURY LAWYERS-RADIOFREQUENCY NEUROTOMY, RHIZOTOMY

The Facet Joint Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team know that facet joint injuries have been recently recognized in the medical literature and in medical practice as a major cause of chronic neck and back pain lasting more than 1 year after a car accident or other traumatic event.

Medical doctors who are up-to-date with regard to modern medicine are aware that facet joint injuries are a major source of chronic pain and long-term disability.  Many medical doctors remain in the dark on this subject.

The human spine consists of 33 vertebrae. Vertebrae are interlocking phones that form the spinal column. The spinal column consists of seven cervical (neck), 12, thoracic (mid back), and five lumbar (low back) vertebrae. There are also 5 fused vertebrae in the sacral region and 4fused vertebrae which form the coccyx (tailbone).

The vertebrae of the neck, mid-back, and lower back are interconnected by facet joints, one on either side, that allow mobility of the spine. Between each vertebra of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine is an intervertebral disc.

In the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions, the intervertebral discs connect the vertebral joints. The intervertebral joint has 2 facet joints, one on either side.  It is the injury to the facet joint that produces chronic facet joint pain.

Radiofrequency Neurotomy (RFN), also known as a rhizotomy, is an injection procedure in which the medial branch nerve, which runs through the facet joint is “ablated” in order to eliminate much of the joint chronic pain caused by the facet joint.

The Facet Joint Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salida lot team have experience in over 100 cases where their clients have been treated with the RFN procedure.