Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Pulse Dose Radiofrequency for Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia has an incidence of 4-13 per 100000 people per year. The incidence of this disease increases in the elderly, and it is known to cause severe shock-like pain. Pharmacological therapy is the first-line treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. If pharmacological therapy fails, then different procedures are available. Pulse-dose radiofrequency is one such procedure. In this study, we evaluated Pulse dose radiofrequency's efficacy as a method in which pulse amplitude and width are considered essential variables. This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study on trigeminal neuralgia patients referred to the pain clinic of Amir A’lam Hospital in 2020. Conservative therapy has failed; therefore, the clinician decided to use pulse dose radiofrequency to reduce their pain. Among the 29 patients registered during this period, 15 (51.8%) were women and 14 (48.3%) were men. The mean (±SD) age of the patient was 57.07(±14.26) years. The tow route was interrupted in 7 (24.1%) patients. A significant difference was observed between the pain scores before and after the operation (P<0.001). Pulse-dose radiofrequency is a safe and effective therapy for treating trigeminal neuralgia and can be considered a new way to develop the pulse radiofrequency method.