When patients lean forward they are fine but leaning backward or standing for long periods causes significant low back pain. Patients suffering from low back pain will most likely see a pain management specialist, and receive facet injections, medial branch blocks or percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomies (RFA) to relieve the pain. If the pain comes back or ideal long term pain relief was not achieved with the RFA, these patients are usually a good candidate for endoscopic rhizotomy treatment. Facet nerve blocks, or medial branch blocks, may be used to confirm the source of pain as coming from the nerve. Patients who have not responded to other conservative interventions such as facet injections, medication and physical therapy may be candidates for Endoscopic Laser Facet Rhizotomy.

Laser facet rhizotomy is a minimally invasive spinal surgery usually done as an outpatient procedure while the patient is under local anesthesia. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a small incision to insert an endoscope (a small flexible tube with a video camera) into the targeted location, so as to see the nerve branches. The surgeon then uses a laser to deaden these nerve branches thereby eliminating the patient’s pain.