OFTEN A GROUP OF NERVES, CALLED A PLEXUS OR GANGLION, THAT CAUSES PAIN TO A SPECIFIC ORGAN OR BODY REGION CAN BE BLOCKED WITH THE INJECTION OF MEDICATION INTO A SPECIFIC AREA OF THE BODY. THE INJECTIONS OF THIS NERVE-NUMBING SUBSTANCE ARE CALLED NERVE BLOCKS.
For many people suffering with severe pain, nerve blocks have become part of their treatment. These injections of local anesthetic and steroids directly to the area of the affected nerve can help with pain control and improve function and quality of life. Many times, the goal of the nerve block is to help people avoid surgery and take an active role in physical therapy.
For some people, a nerve block gives immediate relief. For others, it takes a series of injections before it helps the pain. This is because pain is a personal perception and everyone responds differently.
USES FOR NERVE BLOCKS
Different kinds of nerve blocks are used for different purposes.
- Therapeutic nerve blocks are used to treat painful conditions. Such nerve blocks contain local anesthetic that can be used to control acute pain.
- Diagnostic nerve blocks are used to determine sources of pain. These blocks typically contain an anesthetic with a known duration of relief.
- Prognostic nerve blocks predict the outcomes of given treatments. For example, a nerve block may be performed to determine if more permanent treatments (such as surgery) would be successful in treating pain.
- Preemptive nerve blocks are meant to prevent subsequent pain from a procedure that can cause problems including phantom limb pain.
- Nerve blocks can be used, in some cases, to avoid surgery.
TYPES OF NERVE BLOCKS USED
Various areas of pain require different nerve block types.
- Trigeminal nerve blocks (face)
- Ophthalmic nerve block (eyelids and scalp)
- Supraorbital nerve block (forehead)
- Maxillary nerve block (upper jaw)
- Sphenopalatine nerve block (nose and palate)
- Cervical epidural, thoracic epidural, and lumbar epidural block (neck and back)
- Cervical plexus block and cervical paravertebral block (shoulder and upper neck)
- Brachial plexus block, elbow block, and wrist block (shoulder/arm/hand, elbow, and wrist)
- Subarachnoid block and celiac plexus block (abdomen and pelvis)
OTHER KINDS OF NERVE BLOCKS
- Sympathetic nerve block: A sympathetic nerve block is one that is performed to determine if there is damage to the sympathetic nerve chain. This is a network of nerves extending the length of the spine. These nerves control some of the involuntary functions of the body, such as opening and narrowing blood vessels.
- Stellate ganglion block: This is a type of sympathetic nerve block performed to determine if there is damage to the sympathetic nerve chain supplying the head, neck, chest, or arms and if it is the source of pain in those areas. Although used mainly as a diagnostic block, the stellate ganglion block may provide pain relief in excess of the duration of the anesthetic.
- Facet joint block: Also known as a zygapophysial joint block, the facet joint block is performed to determine whether a facet joint is a source of pain. Facet joints are located on the back of the spine, where one vertebra slightly overlaps another. These joints guide and restrict the spines movement.
IF THE PAIN YOU’RE EXPERIENCING ISN’T RELATED TO PAIN IN A SINGLE OR SMALL GROUP OF NERVES, NERVE BLOCKS MAY NOT BE RIGHT FOR YOU. FORTUNATELY, DR. PAEZ CAN ADVISE YOU AS TO WHETHER THIS TREATMENT IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR SITUATION.
