@sueinmn There is no reason to wait for a radio frequency ablation so the pain from the vertebrae to the brain can be temporarily stopped. But, before they can do that, they will have to perform probably two medial branch blocks to identify which nerves are the source of the pain. I just had the radio frequency ablation, and it worked very well. I'm walking well, doing a lot of yardwork, no meds before bedtime, good sleep, etc. I'm 78 years old, male. All was covered by Medicare HMO Scan Venture plan except for very small co-pays.