- Treating Pain
- What We Do
- Your First Visit
- What To Expect
I Am a:
- Patient
- Caregiver
- Medical Professional
A nerve block consists of a small amount of local anesthetic injected near the source of the pain. Many people have received a similar procedure when having dental work done to “freeze” their tooth and block the source of dental pain.
Only 30 % to 40% of chronic pain patients are candidates for nerve blocks. Nerve blocks are carried out when an area that contains the “pain generator” is found. The pain generator is the area of damage to the nerves that is sending abnormally painful signals.
Many patients report instant relief of their pain symptoms immediately after the nerve block has been administered. Some patients report partial relief of their chronic pain symptoms immediately after the nerve block has been administered. In some cases it takes several treatments over an extended period of time to relieve the patient’s chronic pain symptoms.
Benefits may last from a few days to a few weeks. In rare cases some patients only have a few hours of relief.
Some patients will require more frequent treatments depending on the severity of their chronic pain. The doctor will schedule the patient’s return visits and treatments accordingly.
If we find a pain generator (area where the nerves are damaged) the patient may do well with nerve blocks in addition to analgesics, antidepressants, and cognitive behavioral therapy. This combination may help the patient to achieve a substantially improved quality of life.
Continue reading › Nerve Blocks and Needles