A nerve block is a minimally invasive treatment that helps relieve chronic nerve pain. It involves your doctor injecting an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroid into a nerve or group of nerves to ease pain and inflammation. Nerve blocks can also help determine the source of pain or predict the results of given treatments like surgery. Your doctor can use nerve blocks to ease pain in your back, legs, arms, buttocks, neck, and face. Nerve blocks Freehold work by preventing nerve impulses from reaching your central nervous system and making you feel pain. They provide temporary relief allowing you to do daily activities and complete physical therapy.
What are the different types of nerve blocks?
Epidural: This is the most commonly known form of nerve block and is usually used during childbirth. An epidural nerve block involves your doctor injecting medication outside your spinal cord to numb the abdomen and lower extremities.
Spinal anesthesia: This nerve block involves your provider injecting the anesthetic medication into the fluid surrounding your spinal cord.
Peripheral: Your doctor injects the peripheral nerve block around the target nerve, causing pain.
How should you prepare for a nerve block procedure?
There are minimal preparations for nerve block treatment. Your doctor may recommend you avoid anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen twenty-four hours before the procedure. Ensure you inform your doctor if you are taking blood thinners like heparin, warfarin, or starwikibio aspirin.
What happens during the nerve block procedure?
Your doctor cleans the skin around the injection site and administers a local anesthetic to numb the region. Once the area is numb, with the aid of an ultrasound or fluoroscope, the doctor inserts a needle in the targeted region. The doctor will confirm the needle is in the right place and inject the anesthetic medication. If your doctor uses nerve blocks for diagnostic purposes, your provider will ask you if the drug has reduced your pain. After the treatment, medical staff will move you to a recovery area and monitor you for adverse reactions.
Which conditions can nerve blocks treat?
Nerve blocks can treat many conditions, including post-surgical pain, migraine, arthritis pain, sciatica, low back pain, and pain from labor and childbirth. They can also relieve neck pain resulting from herniated discs, excessive sweating, and phantom pain after an amputation.
Side effects and risks of nerve blocks
After nerve block injections, you may have an infection, bleeding, or soreness at the injection site. A stellate ganglion block, which targets neck nerves, can cause trouble swallowing, hoarseness, and red, drooping eyes. Sometimes nerves may become damaged, but this side effect is extremely rare and often temporary.
How effective is a nerve block?
The effects of nerve blocks vary in each patient. The injection can relieve pain for a few days to several weeks. Some people obtain relief from one injection, while others need multiple nerve block injections.
A nerve block is a minimally invasive treatment that involves your doctor injecting an anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory steroid into a nerve or group of nerves to ease pain and inflammation. Schedule an appointment at Healthcare Pain Centers LLC for nerve block injections to alleviate your chronic pain.
