New Delhi: Chronic pain sufferers in Delhi may soon have reason to take a very long sigh of relief. A new procedure named CooledRadiofrequency Ablation(RFA), first time in India,is being touted as the best of the breed among chronic pain alleviation options available on the carpet so far.
The technique, getting a great shot in the arm by being successful in relieving Tennis Star Rafael Nadal of his pesky foot pain and having signature of Bollywood star Salman Khan, is all set to be smash hit in Delhi. Dwarka based Interventional Pain and Spine Centre (IPSC), which is standalone facility to first install this technique in India, claims that it is going to be the most effective chronic pain-relieving protocol available in the country. People who are suffering from back pain, neck pain, facial pain and joint pain like of shoulder and knee can look at IPSC as a ‘go to’ facility for deliverance from crippling pain condition.
It’s assurance of almost two years‘pain holiday’ which is whale of a relief, is going to be its USP. Pain is a ubiquitous condition in India and cripple a lot of people who are for ever in desperate quest of some long-time relief. Many of them would give world to be relieved of pain in various part of the body. The example of ace Tennis player Rafael Nadal and Bollywood hunk Salman Khan raises veracity quotient of claims about Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation’s efficacy.
The creator company Avanos has claimed in its info that not long-ago Tennis star underwent this procedure which cured his chronic foot pain and made him spring footed to participate in the Wimbledon. In his case, all other options had already failed.
Salman Khan’s is another case in point which endorse this newly crafted technique as real deal. Dr. (Maj) Pankaj N Surange, CEO & MD, IPSC claimed in a press conference called to showcase RFA that Salman Khan who suffered from facial neuralgia, chronic pain condition of the face causing sudden attacks severe, sharp, shooting facial pain that lasts from a few second to about two minutes, owes freedom from this excruciating condition in USA to this technology.
This technology dawns in India at a time when it stands at a juncture waiting to confront a ‘paindemic’ of sort. The worrying fact that has emerged is India, flaunted as the youngest nation, has its young population in vice like grip of chronic pain. The 5 years data that IPSC has collected concludes that 67 % of younger population is suffering from chronic pain. Till 2030, 30 percent population grossing 40 crore people across all age group would suffer from chronic pain catastrophe.
The Advanced version of the technology is brought by Avanos and installed its first machine at Interventional Pain and Spine Centre (IPSC), a chain of single-specialty centers offering state-of-the-art spine care and chronic pain management with less invasive techniques.
Fielding questions,Dr. (Maj) Pankaj N Surange, said,‘RFA is a procedure that involves heating a part of a pain-transmitting nerve with a radiofrequency needle to create a heat lesion. This prevents the nerve from sending pain signals to the brain. This treatment provides longer-lasting pain relief compared to traditional therapies like surgery, physiotherapy, steroid injections, or anesthesia. Its effect lasts from one to two years, after which the procedure can be repeated. Cooled RFA is the latest innovation in RFA technology. It has revolutionized the management of patients suffering from chronic back pain and joint pain.’
Though RFA has been available in India for many years, cooled RFA has now been introduced by IPSC for the first time. More than 25 senior doctors from PGI Chandigarh and Army Hospital Research & Referral in Delhi attended a two-day workshop on managing chronic pain with cooled RFA organised by IPSC.
Explaining the difference between traditional RFA and Cooled RFA, Dr. (Maj) Pankaj N Surange said: “The electrodes used in Cooled RFA are bigger, due to which the area impacted is larger compared to the conventional technique. This increases the success rate multifold. Even if complete alignment is not maintained with the greater length of the nerve, the lesioning is still very effective due to its bigger size. Another advantage of Cooled RFA is its use in the spinal disc conditions that lead to back pain. It has specialized cooling system that maintains temperature over a sustained period of time and covers a larger area, such as the entire spinal disc, and also seals any tears in it. Cooled RFA not only helps in reduction of pain but also repairs the damaged disc in early stages.’
IPSC India currently operates centres in Delhi and Bengaluru. Dr Swati Bhatt, Director, IPSC South (Bangalore) said to a question by Medicare News that RFA is proving very effective in palliative care of cancer patients. Morphine used as palliative care has severe side effects. RFA turns up as far better pain reliever of terminal cancer patients. RFA burns the spread of cancer which in turn greatly reduces pain in cancer patients.She added that RFA procedure takes only 30-45 minutes and can be repeated as many times as needed. In many cases, the pain relief is permanent as pain-free movement leads to better blood circulation in the affected area, aiding natural healing by the body.
Dr. Surange further said, ‘RFA is very effective once the pain generator is correctly diagnosed, with success rate as high as 95%. It is better than other pain-control measures like physiotherapy which only gives temporary relief, or surgery that entails blood loss and hospitalization. RFA is far superior compared to steroid injections. The effect of steroids lasts 3 to 4 weeks compared to 1-2 years for RFA.’
Chronic pain – defined as any persistent pain lasting more than three months – is rapidly emerging as a significant healthcare challenge in India. Over 19% of Indian adult population suffers from chronic pain of some kind, with prevalence higher in females. The prevalence increases steeply beyond the age of 65 years. This may be the tip of the iceberg as most Indians do not reveal their pain problems to others. The commonest types of chronic pain include spinal pain, joint pain and migraine. Arthritis, degenerative conditions of the spine, and cancer are the most common contributors to chronic pain.
For most cases of chronic pain, less invasive and target-specific interventions (called interventional pain management) are better alternatives compared to open surgical methods, as these involve less risk and trauma to patient. They are also much safer and cheaper, and do not require hospital admissions.
