Exposure of the Dorsal Root Ganglion to Pulsed Radiofrequency Current in a Neuropathic Pain Model of Peripheral Nerve Injury

The spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain in rats, as originally described by Kim and Chung (Pain 50:355–363, 1992), provides an excellent venue to study the antinociception and modulation effects of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) current in pain processing. We describe the procedure of application of PRF current near the exposed L5 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in rats with L5 spinal nerve ligation injury-induced behavioral hypersensitivity. This method employs the direct visualization of the L5 DRG, allowing for confirmation of the location of the PRF probe adjacent to the DRG.