Nerves can be damaged by direct injury, surgery or scar tissue. Nerves transmit sensation along path of the nerve. Nerve blocks are used to help control pain, but also offer diagnostic benefits by helping to identify if specific nerves are generating pain. These blocks are used to help predict how your pain may respond to long-term treatments. If you receive temporary relief from the blocks then radiofrequency of the same nerve may provide relief for a longer period of time.
If you receive relief from the diagnostic block then a radiofrequency signal applied to the nerve can produce relief over a more sustained period of time. The radiofrequency signal interrupts the pain signal going from the nerve to the brain thus providing pain relief. The relief from the radiofrequency ablation should mimic that of the diagnostic blocks but last longer.