Are you a healthcare professional seeking minimally invasive pain treatment solutions to improve the quality of life of your patients or to understand how Pulsed RF can help relieve your patients pain?
We can help you. We follow PRF developments closely and we will share the knowledge we have. Because we believe that knowledge will help your patients improve their quality of life.
Pulsed Radiofrequency (PRF) is a technique developed in the late 1990s as a safer alternative to conventional continuous radiofrequency ablation. Unlike ablation, which produces thermal destruction of nervous tissue, PRF delivers short, high-frequency electrical pulses while maintaining tissue temperatures below the neurodestructive threshold. This allows modulation of neural activity without creating significant structural damage.
The mode of action is not yet fully understood, but evidence suggests that PRF influences both neuronal excitability and local immune responses. There are strong indications that PRF reduces oxidative stress which reduces inflammation.
Transcutaneous Pulsed Radiofrequency (TcPRF) is a non-invasive form of Pulsed Radiofrequency therapy in which brief bursts of electromagnetic energy are delivered through the skin via surface electrodes. Unlike invasive PRF, which requires a needle placed near a nerve, TcPRF acts externally — allowing safe, repeatable treatments without tissue penetration.
The primary mode of action of TcPRF is the reduction of oxidative stress in the treated area. By generating controlled electromagnetic fields, TcPRF influences cellular redox balance and restores the equilibrium between free radicals and antioxidant defenses. This normalization of the oxidative environment leads to a downregulation of inflammation, improved microcirculation and stabilization of neuronal membranes.
In practical terms, this results in:
Invasive PRF has been successfully applied in a wide range of pain conditions, including radicular pain, facet joint pain, sacroiliac pain and certain peripheral neuralgias. Clinical studies report meaningful pain relief with a favorable safety profile compared to destructive procedures. Importantly, patients often experience less post-procedural pain and shorter recovery times.
The treatment is performed using fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance, with needles placed close to the target nerve or tissue. Energy is delivered in short bursts followed by silent phases that allow for heat dissipation. Parameters such as voltage and treatment duration are still being optimized, and ongoing research is working toward consensus on standardized protocols (like the Leiden Consensus).
This is the most recent paper in the collection — published in 2026 — and provides a comprehensive narrative review of PRF's immunological mechanisms, synthesizing 12 key studies selected from an initial pool of 126 articles. It is notable for being published in an immunology journal, reflecting PRF's expanding identity beyond pain medicine.
This Osaka University mouse study used a monoiodoacetic acid (MIA)-induced knee pain model to trace the precise mechanism behind PRF's anti-inflammatory effects. PRF was applied to the sciatic nerve — distant from the joint — and outcomes were assessed behaviorally, histologically, and biochemically.
This Brazilian-Dutch case series reports three patients treated with transcutaneous STP (Sluijter-Teixeira-Poisson) pulsed radiofrequency for spinal conditions — all of whom had failed conservative therapy and were unwilling or unable to undergo invasive procedures. Treatment was delivered via adhesive skin patches using a Spring2 generator, with three sessions per patient.
This Dutch retrospective study from Amphia Hospital (Breda, The Netherlands) is the first to examine TcPRF specifically for upper extremity OA. Thirty-seven patients with shoulder, elbow, or hand/wrist OA — the majority having experienced pain for over a year — received a single 15-minute TcPRF treatment using a Springlife Medical device (Spring2), with follow-up at 1, 2, and 6 weeks.
This paper — published posthumously in memory of Menno Sluijter, PRF's inventor — presents a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding how PRF exerts systemic anti-inflammatory effects, and introduces the term RedoxPRF for this application.
This Japanese in vitro study examined how PRF affects gene expression in astrocytes — the glial cells that play a central role in neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain. Mouse astrocyte cell lines were exposed to PRF (480 kHz, 20 ms pulses, 45V, 30 min) and subsequently analyzed using microarray technology covering over 56,000 probes.
This Brazilian review paper explores whether combining PRF with orthobiologics — primarily PRP, but also bone marrow aspirate and adipose tissue-derived products — could produce synergistic therapeutic effects beyond what either approach achieves alone.
This Brazilian rat study investigated whether PRF could reduce oxidative stress and inflammation following acute muscle trauma. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (control, PRF only, trauma only, trauma + PRF), with PRF delivered using a Spring2 device — notably one of the few studies explicitly naming the Spring device in the methods.
This in vitro study explored a novel question: can PRF activate platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and could the two therapies be usefully combined? PRP from 11 healthy volunteers was divided into four groups — resting control, thrombin-activated (positive control), PRF-treated, and thrombin + PRF combined — and assessed for markers of platelet activation and cellular safety.
This Australian double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial is one of the strongest pieces of clinical evidence for TcPRF to date. Fifty-one patients awaiting shoulder surgery were randomized to active (80V) or sham (0V) TcPRF, delivered as a single session at six standardized electrode positions around the shoulder. Assessments were performed at 4 and 12 weeks by a blinded observer.
This first systematic review of TcPRF in chronic pain synthesized eight RCTs (n = 467) covering musculoskeletal conditions (knee osteoarthritis, shoulder pain, subacromial impingement syndrome, lateral epicondylitis) and neuropathic pain syndromes (carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic neuropathic pain, chronic migraine). Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool.
Both forms of PRF - transcutaneous and invasive - share a common goal: to reduce pain by restoring balance in the body’s electrical and biochemical systems.
At Springlife, our focus is on TcPRF, the most patient-friendly way to bring these benefits to daily clinical care.
In recent years, transcutaneous PRF (TcPRF) has been developed, enabling non-invasive application through the skin. Early studies suggest promising results, particularly for inflammatory and musculoskeletal pain. This opens new opportunities for treating broader patient populations without procedural risk.
For physicians, PRF offers a tool that bridges the gap between conservative pain management and invasive surgical interventions. Its non-destructive nature makes it especially appealing for patients where nerve ablation carries significant risk. As evidence accumulates, PRF is becoming an increasingly important component of the interventional pain medicine toolbox.
If you wish to receive publications about PRF and TcPRF, please contact us (info@springlife.com)
At Springlife, we strive to transform the way pain is treated by combining innovation, safety, and clinical expertise.
Are you interested in PulsedRF and for example struggling with a case? Join our dedicated WhatsApp group, where professionals can easily connect, share experiences, and ask each other questions — both about using the Spring2 and about patient-related situations.
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Springlife was founded on a legacy and a vision. My father pioneered Pulsed Radiofrequency (PRF) technology for the treatment of chronic pain, and since childhood I have seen how innovation in medicine can change lives. Today, chronic pain remains one of the greatest health challenges worldwide, and I believe the future lies in treatments that are minimally invasive, patient-friendly, and scientifically sound. With Springlife, I am determined to bring my father’s knowledge into the next generation of medical solutions. Our mission is ambitious yet simple: to make PRF part of the standard toolbox of every pain physician around the globe. We envision a world where pain is treated with precision, without unnecessary damage or invasive interventions. Where physicians are empowered with tools that work with the body, not against it. Springlife is more than a company — it is a mission to redefine how chronic pain is treated. And we are only at the beginning of this journey.