Nerve blocks are one of the most effective treatments for most painful conditions. Most patients can undergo peripheral and selective nerve blocks safely. Nerve blocks with steroids are used to reduce joint and nerve inflammation, which also reduces abnormal signaling from injured or damaged nerves. Pain and injury makes the nerves more sensitive, and a nerve block can provide long periods of relief.
Effectiveness of Pain Relief with Nerve Blocks
Studies involving nerve blocks show a success rate of more than 80 percent, for pain relief up to 24 months after a nerve block.
Types of Nerve Blocks
There are many different types of nerve blocks. These include:
* Cervical/thoracic/lumbar epidural block (for neck and back pain)
* Cervical plexus block (shoulder pain)
* Subarachnoid block (abdomen and pelvis pain)
* Celiac plexus block (abdomen and pelvis pain)
* Trigeminal nerve block (face pain)
* Supraorbital nerve block (forehead pain)
* Sphenopalatine nerve block (nose and palate pain)
Commonly Used Interventional Pain Management Nerve Blocks
* Sympathetic Nerve Block
This sympathetic nerve block is used to find out if there is damage to the sympathetic nerve chain along the length of the spine. These nerves open and narrow blood vessels.
* Stellate Ganglion Block
The Stellate Ganglion Block is used to assess for damage to the sympathetic nerve chain that supplies the chest, neck, head, and arms. This is also used as a diagnostic and therapeutic block to treat pain and sympathetic nervous system symptoms of the head, neck, upper arms, or chest.
* Facet Joint Block
When the joints are inflamed with certain conditions, such as arthritis, it leads to back pain. When a cervical (neck) facet joint becomes inflamed, it can lead to neck pain that radiates across the shoulders. With the facet joints of the lower back, the pain can radiate into the buttocks and legs.
Facet joint blocks are used to determine which facet joints of the spine are painful and to relieve facet joint pain.
* Selective Nerve Root Block
The nerve is approached with this technique at the level where it leaves the hole between two vertebrae (called the foramen). The injection involves use of a corticosteroid and an anesthetic.
Phoenix pain management doctors treat all types of pain including chronic neck and back pain, different kind of headaches such as migraines, cluster headaches etc. They also specialize innerve blocks, facet joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulator treatment in Phoenix, Arizona to treat back and neck pain, pelvic/abdominal pain, RSD and discomfort in one’s shoulder, hip, knees and ankle joints.