Relieve Chronic Pain with Nerve Block Injections
Chronic pain can infiltrate every area of your life. If you have trouble sleeping, working, exercising, and participating in your hobbies, it’s time to seek professional help. At Desert Pain Specialists, we take a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to pain management. Rather than just using prescription painkillers to temporarily mask your symptoms, we take the time to evaluate your condition, lifestyle, and overall health to determine the underlying cause of your pain. We then design highly individualized, non-surgical pain management and treatment plans. One treatment option we might recommend is nerve block injections. Nerve block injections offer temporary pain relief so that you can address the underlying cause of your pain and participate in physical therapy and other therapeutic pain management programs. Call us today to schedule a consultation to discuss nerve block injections in St. George, UT, or the surrounding areas.
A nerve block is an injection made into a targeted nerve or group of nerves. Nerve blocks can treat nerve pain, symptoms associated with nerve injury or damage, and chronic pain associated with nerve problems. Nerve blocks offer temporary or lasting pain relief and can accelerate the healing process for injured nerves by relieving inflammation and promoting the body’s natural healing processes.
When Should You Consider a Nerve Block?
While nerve block injections are minimally invasive and low-risk, they are not for everyone. We will not offer them as a treatment method until we have performed a full examination, gathered your health history, discussed your symptoms and lifestyle, reviewed your goals and expectations, and discussed alternative treatment options. We may recommend a nerve block injection if:
- You have pain or other symptoms related to nerve damage, nerve injury, or nerve compression.
- Other treatment methods were ineffective.
- You are unable to participate in rehabilitative therapy or pain management therapy because your pain is too severe.
- You want an alternative to surgery or other more invasive procedures.
Your nerve pain is caused by a condition that can be directly treated with nerve block injections.
What to Expect from the Nerve Block Procedure
Your Desert Pain Specialist physician will sanitize and numb the injection area with a local anesthetic. They will then use fluoroscopic (x-ray) guidance to ensure proper needle placement and inject medication into the targeted area as close to the affected nerve as possible. Following the injection, patients are taken to our recovery suite for observation for 15-30 minutes. We will monitor you closely to ensure you have no unexpected side effects. If a sedative is used during the procedure, you should ensure you have a ride home and take it easy for the rest of the day. You should experience immediate pain relief, and more long-term pain relief can take up to two weeks to take effect if a steroid is used.
What Are the Different Nerve Block Types?
Your body has many nerves of different sizes and in different locations that perform various functions. There are different nerve blocks for different types of nerves, and the one we recommend will depend on which ones should be targeted:
- Celiac plexus – The celiac plexus is a nerve bundle containing multiple small, thin nerves. It is located in your upper abdomen, behind your pancreas. Celiac plexus nerve blocks can offer relief from pain caused by pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer.
- Epidural – An epidural nerve block is one of the most common types of nerve block. It is often used during labor and childbirth, but it can be used to relieve other pain as well. It can offer pain relief or anesthesia to your back, legs, and stomach.
- Genicular – The genicular nerves encircle your knee joints. A genicular nerve block can ease chronic knee pain or relieve pain before or after knee surgery.
- Intercostal – The intercostal nerves are underneath your ribs. An intercostal nerve block relieves pain caused by cracked or fractured ribs or conditions like neuralgia.
- Lumbar sympathetic – Your sympathetic nerves are located on either side of your spine in your lower back. A lumbar sympathetic nerve block relieves lower back pain, leg pain, sciatica pain, and complex regional pain syndrome.
- Occipital – Your occipital nerves are located in the back of your head and neck. Occipital nerve blocks can treat occipital neuralgia and chronic intractable migraines.
- Pudendal – The pudendal nerve is a large, thick nerve in the pelvic area. A pudendal nerve block can relieve pain during labor and childbirth and relieve genital, coccyx, and rectal pain.
- Stellate ganglion – The stellate ganglion is a collection of nerves on either side of your voice box. A stellate ganglion nerve block offers relief from nerve-related pain in your head, upper arm, upper chest, and neck.
- Trigeminal – The trigeminal nerves are located on either side of your face. A trigeminal nerve block can treat nerve-related face pain.
How Long Does a Nerve Block Last?
You will feel almost immediate results after a nerve block injection, which are typically temporary. Nerve blocks are a short-term solution that relieves pain so you can participate in therapeutic pain relief and pain management treatment protocols without discomfort. By combining nerve block injections with other therapies, you can achieve lasting pain relief, improved range of motion and mobility, enhanced function, and faster rehabilitation. Some people experience lasting relief from nerve blocks and will be pain-free for months or years.
Are There Risks or Side Effects of a Nerve Block?
Complications or negative side effects from nerve block injections are very rare. In some cases, you could be at risk of:
- Infection at the site of the injection.
- Bleeding at the injection site.
- Spread of the medication to other nerves.
Schedule a Consultation to Discuss Nerve Blocks
If you’re ready to learn more about how a nerve block can relieve pain and help you regain control over your life, contact us today at Desert Pain Specialists. Our team of experienced, highly skilled physicians is committed to providing patient-centered care that addresses the underlying cause of your issue. We can schedule a consultation to assess your symptoms, run diagnostic tests, and determine if you are a good candidate for nerve block injections in St. George, UT, or the surrounding area. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a consultation.