ArticlePain medicine (Malden, Mass.)2025
Evaluation of internally cooled radiofrequency ablation targeting multiple shoulder nerves for chronic shoulder pain relief and function restoration: a prospective study.
Article in Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pulsed and cooled radiofrequency for chronic shoulder pain: a systematic review of comparative and cohort studies.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of high-voltage radiofrequency on suprascapular nerve for the treatment of chronic shoulder pain.Interventional pain medicine · 2026Article
- Ultrasound Guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Suprascapular Nerve for Shoulder Pain: A Novel Technique Description.Current pain and headache reports · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveShoulder pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder, affecting up to 70% of adults over their lifetimes. Recently, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has gained attention as a treatment for joint pain. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of internally cooled RFA (icRFA) in alleviating shoulder pain and improving both qualitative and quantitative measures of shoulder function.
designProspective cohort study. SUBJECTS: Patients with chronic shoulder pain (n = 35) who responded positively to diagnostic blocks of the suprascapular nerve (SSN), axillary nerve (AN), and lateral pectoral nerve (LPN).
methodsPatients underwent icRFA targeting the SSN, AN, and LPN. Treatment response was assessed with the numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and active range of motion (AROM) in flexion and abduction. Outcomes were measured at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months after icRFA. Patient characteristics were compared between responders and nonresponders to icRFA treatment, and correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between pain relief and functional improvement.
resultsNRS pain levels significantly decreased at 1 month (Adjusted [Adj.] P < .0001), 3 months (Adj. P < .0001), and 6 months (Adj. P = .0002) after icRFA. ASES score improved at 1 month (Adj. P < .0001), 3 months (Adj. P < .0001), and 6 months (Adj. P < .0001) after icRFA. Flexion AROM improved at 1 month (Adj. P < .0001), 3 months (Adj. P < .0001), and 6 months (Adj. P = .0139) after icRFA. Abduction AROM improved at 1 month (Adj. P < .0001), 3 months (Adj. P < .0001), and 6 months (Adj. P < .0001) after icRFA.
conclusioniccRFA targeting the SSN, AN, and LPN is a safe and effective intervention, providing significant improvements in pain, functional activities of daily living, and AROM of the shoulder for at least 6 months.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.