Dr. Amod Manocha
Fellowship of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anesthetists (FFPMRCA),
Fellowship of the Royal College of Anesthetists (FRCA), MBBS
Pain Management Specialist, Anesthesiologist, Spine and Pain Specialist
Suffering from severe bilateral knee pain for over 3 years, 61-year-old Jigyasa Kumari (name changed) was successfully able to conquer her pain with the assistance of minimally invasive Radiofrequency technique.
Mrs. Jigyasa Kumari, troubled by knee pain for three years, was finding basic activities like walking for more than a few minutes and climbing stairs becoming more and more restricted and challenging. Having been an independent person all her life, the resulting dependence on others was having a negative impact on all aspects of her life including her confidence levels and mood. Despite several consultations made at various hospitals and trying medications (pain killers), physical therapy, the outcome was not favourable. She was not keen on having any operations and was on the lookout for any non-surgical modalities to get rid of this knee pain and bring her life back on track.
As a last resort for treating her seemingly eternal discomfort, her search landed her with Dr Amod Manocha, a leading specialist in the field of pain management in Delhi NCR region. During evaluation of her knee pain, X-ray of the knee revealed osteoarthritis whereas MRI of the knee showed other coexisting knee problems along with arthritis and hence she was scheduled for a diagnostic (test) injection to evaluate the possibility of benefit from the Radiofrequency procedure.
Post diagnostic nerve blocks injection, the stiffness and pain in the knee was reduced by over 80%, which was a positive indication to continue with the Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) of the nerves supplying the knee joints. She successfully underwent the Radiofrequency procedure known as the Genicular Radiofrequency Ablation as a day care procedure under local anaesthesia. The procedure was performed using X-ray’s and ultrasound guidance and the patient was discharged back home the same day. Since the RFA procedure is minimally invasive, without any cuts, stiches or scars, there is hardly any post procedure pain.” said Dr. Amod Manocha, Senior Consultant & Head – Pain Management Services, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket
At 2 weeks after the procedure, she had no side-effects from the procedure and her pain, mobility had already improved significantly. She hardly ever required any pain killers and was pleased with the fact that she is no longer dependent on others for basic daily activities. With reduced pain and improved mobility her social life was back on track and she could actively work on strengthening her muscles for sustained benefits.
“My son was wandering around to hospitals to find the apt treatment for me, but when the majority of the suggestions were towards knee replacement as the last option, he decided to go with it. With the fear of surgery popping into my mind I denied it and opted to bear the pain for the rest of my life. Then on the suggestion of an overseas relative, I decided to visit Dr Manocha and the treatment done by him had changed my life.” said Mrs. Jigyasa Kumari
Knee joint is supplied by many nerves collectively addressed as genicular nerves and hence the procedure is addressed as Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation. The focus in this procedure is to deactivate the nerves responsible for transmitting pain signals from the arthritic joints to the brain.
“The minimally invasive technique of Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) offers a safe, effective, non-surgical alternative with no requirement for prolonged rehabilitation. In most cases the nerve cells regenerate within 1-2 years of RFA therapy, and then if necessary, the procedure can be repeated.”
