Dorsal Root Ganglion Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment for Chronic Radicular Pain: A Narrative Mini Review

Abstract

Chronic cervical and lumbar radicular pain represents a very widespread neuropathic pain in the population with serious repercussions on the individual and social health. To date, we do not have sufficient evidence available to allow us to make recommendations on the optimal therapy, despite the fact that various ways of treating root pain have been described over the years. Currently, conservative treatment of radicular pain relies on combined therapeutic, pharmacological and physiotherapeutic management. Interventional therapeutic procedures are reserved for those patients with root pain refractory to conservative therapies. Radio frequency (RF) can provide a good treatment option with Pulsed Radio frequency (PRF) modality. We evaluate clinical and radiologic effects of the therapeutic outcome of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment adjacent to the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) for patients with chronic intractable lumbar and cervical radicular pain in this narrative minireview, describing mechanism of action, biological effects and evidence for clinical effects and safety in recently published studies.