Pain management is not one treatment. A corticosteroid injection is primarily used to reduce inflammation and can provide temporary relief for weeks to months in selected joints and soft-tissue pain pathways. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses heat delivered near a target nerve to reduce pain signals and is commonly used in selected chronic spine and arthritic joint pain pathways. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) delivers brief electrical fields to a nerve and is generally used when the goal is neuromodulation rather than thermal destruction.
At MBR Health on the Gold Coast, these pathways are selected only after the anatomy, diagnosis and treatment objective are clear. The question is not simply whether pain is present. The question is whether the dominant problem is inflammatory, mechanical, facet-mediated, nerve-mediated, or part of a more complex post-surgical or chronic pain pattern.
Image-guided Pain Management at MBR HealthThree different tools. Three different treatment objectives. Selecting the right one depends on understanding the dominant pain mechanism, the anatomy and the clinical goal.
Used when the dominant issue is inflammation. The goal is to reduce swelling, irritation and inflammatory pain in a selected joint (such as gout), bursa, tendon sheath or spinal pain pathway. Corticosteroid injections can relieve pain and stiffness, but the effect is usually temporary and should be used thoughtfully.
Used when the dominant issue is pain carried by a specific sensory nerve, most commonly in selected facet-mediated neck or back pain pathways. RFA uses thermal energy to interrupt pain signalling from the targeted nerve.
Used when the goal is pain modulation rather than thermal lesioning. RFP delivers short bursts of radiofrequency energy near a nerve, allowing tissue to remain cooler while altering pain signalling in selected neuropathic or nerve-related pain pathways.
The information on this page is intended as general health information only and does not constitute medical advice. Pain management interventions at MBR Health are performed following appropriate clinical assessment and referral from a treating GP or specialist. Not all interventions are suitable for all patients — suitability is determined on an individual basis taking into account your clinical history, imaging findings and treating clinician’s recommendations.
All procedures carry potential risks and benefits that will be discussed with you prior to treatment as part of the informed consent process. We encourage all patients to speak with their GP or specialist before pursuing any pain management intervention.
MBR Health does not guarantee specific clinical outcomes from any pain management procedure. Results may vary depending on individual patient factors, the nature and duration of the condition and the specific intervention performed.
Selected joints with active inflammation, swelling, synovitis or flare-related pain where a corticosteroid pathway may be more appropriate than a regenerative one. Gout flares are one example of an inflammatory pathway where corticosteroid may be considered, depending on the broader clinical context.
Selected soft-tissue pain pathways where local inflammation is the dominant issue and a targeted anti-inflammatory injection is the main objective.
Selected neck and back pain pathways where diagnostic work-up supports the facet joints and their sensory nerves as the likely pain source, making RFA a possible option.
Neuropathic or entrapment-related pain pathways where RFP may be considered when a specific nerve has been identified as clinically relevant.
Selected post-operative pain patterns where the anatomy and pain mechanism support an inflammatory, neuromodulatory or facet-mediated treatment approach rather than repeat surgery.
In selected cases, cortisone, RFA or PRF may be used as part of the diagnostic process when imaging and clinical assessment have not produced a sufficiently robust target — or when imaging is constrained by factors such as implants or post-surgical anatomy. A temporary, precisely targeted reduction in pain can help confirm the relevant pain generator and provide a clearer foundation for future regenerative or other targeted treatment planning.
At MBR Health, our preferred approach to pain management is a regenerative one — healing the source of pain rather than masking symptoms. Where pain is refractory or not amenable to a regenerative approach, the next most appropriate intervention is determined by mechanism, beginning with a single clinical question: what are we trying to change?
Selecting the right intervention for the right mechanism is what separates meaningful pain management from habitual practice.
PHILIPS IQON SPECTRAL CT AT MBR HEALTH Suitability depends on diagnosis, imaging findings, pain mechanism, prior response, medical history and the expected role of the intervention within the broader treatment plan.
This is why cortisone, RFA and PRF should sit inside a diagnosis-led pathway rather than being offered as generic repeat procedures.
