Question
My wife had a polar fusion in her back back in February. The original pain in her back is gone but now she has chronic host pain in the iliac crest area. She is scheduled to have a nerve or nerves frozen. Can you tell me how long this procedure has been around and the success rate? Thank you.  

Answer
Can't answer about success rate, but there's another factor.

It is most common for back trouble to be caused by very tight back muscles, which affect the discs.  This kind of tension is often made worse by surgery and may be the cause of your wife's pain.

I would suggest a more conservative approach than freezing nerves, which cannot be reversed and would leave life-long numbness and, if tight muscles are still present, continued degeneration (without sensation).

Please see the articles on back pain at somatics.com/page4.htm.

The procedure described is safe and fast acting, and you would still have the surgical option if it were ineffective in your wife's case.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold