Nerve Blocks
Nerve Blocks
Nerve Blocks & Pain Management
Nerve blocks are used to alleviate and manage pain.
The injection of medication into a specific place of the body can often block a clump of nerves called a plexus or ganglion that causes pain to a specific organ or body region. A nerve block is the injection of this nerve-numbing medication.
How Are Nerve Blocks Used?
Nerve blocks come in a variety of types and are used for a variety of objectives.
- Nerve blocks are used to treat a variety of unpleasant disorders. Local anaesthetic can be utilised to control acute pain in these nerve blocks.
- To diagnose the source of discomfort, diagnostic nerve blocks are utilised. These blocks usually contain an anaesthetic that provides relief for a set amount of time.
- Nerve blocks that anticipate treatment outcomes are known as prognostic nerve blocks. A nerve block, for example, could be used to see if more permanent therapies (such as surgery) would be effective in reducing pain.
- Preemptive nerve blocks are used to prevent pain from a surgery that can result in complications such as phantom limb pain.
- Nerve blocks can be used to avoid surgery in rare circumstances.
Types of Nerve Blocks
Different sorts of nerve blocks are required for different types of pain. The following are some of the nerve blocks that are available, as well as some of the body areas where they are employed.
- 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 block, thoracic epidural block, and lumbar epidural block are all types of epidural blocks (neck and back)
- Cervical plexus and cervical paravertebral blocks are two types of cervical paravertebral blocks (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 Nerve Blocks
One of the reasons why your doctor must regularly monitor your pain medications is that they can have negative side effects, such as:
Nerve blocks can also be divided into the following categories:
- Sympathetic nerve block. A sympathetic nerve block is used to detect if the sympathetic nerve chain has been damaged. This is a neural network that runs the length of the spine. Some of the body’s involuntary activities, such as opening and closing blood vessels, are controlled by these nerves.
- Stellate ganglion block. This is a sort of sympathetic nerve block used to see if the sympathetic nerve network feeding the head, neck, chest, or arms has been damaged and is causing discomfort in those places. The stellate ganglion block, while primarily employed as a diagnostic block, may give pain relief that lasts longer than the period of the anaesthetic.
- The facet joint block. Also known as a zygapophysial joint block, is used to determine whether or not a facet joint is causing pain. On the back of the spine, facet joints are seen where one vertebra slightly overlaps another. The mobility of the spine is guided and restricted by these joints.
Side Effects and Risks of Nerve Blocks
Nerve blocks are not without dangers and negative effects. They are as follows:
- Blood sugar levels that are too high
- Rash
- Itching
- gaining weight
- Extra stamina
- Soreness at the injection site
- Bleeding
- Death (in rare cases)
Nerve blocks come in a variety of forms, but they aren’t always effective. Nerve blocks may not be right for you if your pain isn’t caused by a single or small group of nerves. Your doctor will be able to tell you if this treatment is right for you.