Living with chronic pain can affect every part of daily life, from sleep and mood to work and relationships. By delivering medication directly around specific nerves, nerve blocks can reduce inflammation, calm irritated nerves, and provide meaningful relief.
Our team at Interventional Pain and Regenerative Medicine Specialists in Arlington, Virginia, may recommend nerve blocks as both a diagnostic and treatment tool to help pinpoint the cause of your pain.
We’re happy to explain how nerve blocks work, who may benefit, and the most common types used to treat chronic pain conditions.
Nerve blocks are injections that typically contain a local anesthetic, often combined with a steroid to reduce inflammation. During this minimally invasive, in-office procedure, your pain management specialist injects the medication near a nerve or group of nerves.
The goal is to temporarily “block” pain signals before they reach the brain. Depending on the type used, relief can last from hours to months.
Nerve block procedures are typically quick and well-tolerated. All types are performed under advanced imaging guidance (fluoroscopy) to ensure accuracy. Most patients can return to normal activities within a day.
We also use nerve blocks to help pinpoint the exact source of pain and tailor a long-term treatment plan. If your pain is relieved with the injection, we may then recommend nerve ablation, spinal cord stimulation, or other minimally invasive solutions that can alleviate your discomfort for many months to years.
Chronic pain often involves ongoing nerve irritation or inflammation. Nerve blocks help by:
Nerve blocks are typically part of a comprehensive pain management plan rather than a standalone treatment.
Nerve blocks may sound like a new therapy, but many have been used for years to both relieve and confirm the source of your pain.
This is extremely helpful in the spinal region, since pain related to a compressed or irritated nerve or nerve bundle can radiate (travel) into areas the nerve serves. For instance, sciatica often causes leg pain and numbness but originates in the lower back.
Commonly prescribed nerve blocks include:
These injections can help with back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and painful herniated discs. The medication is injected into the epidural space around the spine to reduce nerve inflammation and radiating pain.
When your autonomic nerve system sends pain signals to your brain an autonomic nerve block can disrupt the pain signal and provide relief from short-term and chronic pain.
These nerve blocks target the small facet joints of the spine, which can become painful due to injury, arthritis, or wear and tear associated with aging or overuse.
This type can address shoulder pain, knee pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, post-surgical pain, and chronic pain conditions like diabetic neuropathy.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), circulation-related pain, and other chronic pain related to an overactive sympathetic nervous system.
Targeting the occipital nerves at the base of the skull can reduce head and neck pain.
Our pain management group carefully evaluates each patient to determine the safest and most beneficial treatment plan, which may include a nerve block.
Schedule a consultation today to learn more about nerve blocks and other interventional pain treatments we offer to help you regain comfort and control of your life.
