nerve block question.

[notorius]

For the fourth time I am advised by a pain management specialist to consider a nerve block for my back pain. Anyone has done it and what were the overall pros and cons of it based on your own experience? Thank you.

 

[Reload]

Nerve "blocks" are temporary. They only mask pain.
If it's chronic you need to FIX the problem or avoid what's causing the pain to begin with.

 

[notorius]

Nerve "blocks" are temporary. They only mask pain.
If it's chronic you need to FIX the problem or avoid what's causing the pain to begin with.

Suggestions please?

 

[Reload]

See your PCP. Get a referral for an MRI. If you need spinal surgery find the best spinal surgeon in your area and make an appointment.
In the mean time avoid those exercises/movement that might be contributing to your spinal pain. Try an inversion table. Buy an ergonomic work chair if you work a desk. I'm not a big fan of chiropractors but it's always an option. Do your very best to avoid taking opioids regularly to mask pain. I can't stress this last "suggestion" enough.

 

[notorius]

Not being a hard ass, but all the above have been applied for years now. Surgery is off my book till I die. I still appreciate your input.

 

[Reload]

Whatever

 

[TrippplePPP]

For the fourth time I am advised by a pain management specialist to consider a nerve block for my back pain. Anyone has done it and what were the overall pros and cons of it based on your own experience? Thank you.

A nerve block is typically used to diagnostically figure out which nerve is contributing to your pain and occasionally used prior to surgery to make sure you are working on the appropriate level or spot.

You may be mistaking the procedure offered to you and may have been offered and epidural steroid injection. Its like taking an anti-inflammatory and putting on the source that may be causing your pain, its both therapeutic and diagnostic compared to just a nerve block where they just use an anesthetic/numbing agent. I do not look at this as a band-aid but rather a piece of the puzzle that provides relief for a person.

I would get it done if I were in significant pain. Its good to use to lower inflammation and pain than progress to physical therapy to protect the irritated area.

 

[Gunsmith]

What is the diagnosis that's causing your nerve pain??
I have an employee that has chronic back pain from multiple motor cycle accidents and falling down some stairs.
He has to go in about 3x a year for his injections for nerve block , but it's not for the same spot. He said that an injection last about 4-5 months

 

[fisther69]

For the fourth time I am advised by a pain management specialist to consider a nerve block for my back pain. Anyone has done it and what were the overall pros and cons of it based on your own experience? Thank you.

I have done them for surgery as well as part of TBI treatment..honestly, I would probably get it just to be able to rehab it better if it were me..I wouldn’t advise others to do that because even I realize it sounds kinda dumb

 

[notorius]

What is the diagnosis that's causing your nerve pain??
I have an employee that has chronic back pain from multiple motor cycle accidents and falling down some stairs.
He has to go in about 3x a year for his injections for nerve block , but it's not for the same spot. He said that an injection last about 4-5 months

It is a pinched nerve which causes the pain discomfort to radiate into the lats muscle, I haven't done any injections as of yet. I am looking into options.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Exactly like TripplePPP said, I had nerve blocks to see if it helped my pain and to see which nerves would be ablated. it was diagnostic tool; a test before the Pain Management went forward with the proposed nerve ablation. When we found that it did, I then underwent nerve ablation, which also helped. This was for Facet Joint Arthropathy. Recently, on Dec. 16, I also had a laminotomy & micodiscectomy of L5-S1. I see you're dealing with Cervical though.

 

[buck]

As it seems trying to solve the problem is off the table. Therapies haven't worked. So it appears that a varying and likely changing degree of drugs to block the pain in some form will be the future if you are not willing to live with the pain. A nerve block may be a good place to start and save the pain killers for down the road.

 

[pimpman]

A nerve block is typically used to diagnostically figure out which nerve is contributing to your pain and occasionally used prior to surgery to make sure you are working on the appropriate level or spot.

You may be mistaking the procedure offered to you and may have been offered and epidural steroid injection. Its like taking an anti-inflammatory and putting on the source that may be causing your pain, its both therapeutic and diagnostic compared to just a nerve block where they just use an anesthetic/numbing agent. I do not look at this as a band-aid but rather a piece of the puzzle that provides relief for a person.

I would get it done if I were in significant pain. Its good to use to lower inflammation and pain than progress to physical therapy to protect the irritated area.

I think you have it backwards. I get nerve block every 7 to 8 months.the reason is because the nerve end will grow back eventually.

The idea of nerve block is just to not let the nerve send the signal to the brain that you have pain.

Now a facet injection is to figure where you're problem is coming from.

My pain management dr office has tried to do a facet injection 3 times already and my insurance has denied it and I have it on paper from my insurance explaining what I just. Said. That the reason they denied the facet injection is because is to determine what is causing your pain/problem and since in my case they know it's from herniated disc there is no need to figure what the problem is because it's known.

No they always approve my nerve blocks every 7 to 8 months with no questions asked

To OP will it fix the problem? Only temporarily till nerve end grows back.in my case surgery is out of the question as well.hope this helps

 

[TrippplePPP]

I think you have it backwards. I get nerve block every 7 to 8 months.the reason is because the nerve end will grow back eventually.

The idea of nerve block is just to not let the nerve send the signal to the brain that you have pain.

Now a facet injection is to figure where you're problem is coming from.

My pain management dr office has tried to do a facet injection 3 times already and my insurance has denied it and I have it on paper from my insurance explaining what I just. Said. That the reason they denied the facet injection is because is to determine what is causing your pain/problem and since in my case they know it's from herniated disc there is no need to figure what the problem is because it's known.

No they always approve my nerve blocks every 7 to 8 months with no questions asked

To OP will it fix the problem? Only temporarily till nerve end grows back.in my case surgery is out of the question as well.hope this helps

Again, I think you are mistaking a "nerve block" for a "steroid injection". Ask you doctor what he is injection when he gives you what you refer to as a "nerve block"?. I bet it has steroid in it. To block a nerve you need a drug to block the signal to the brain and anesthetic agents last hours and not months. Its typical to inject a steroid to decrease inflammation and potentially give long term relief like months in your case.

They do "nerve block" injections for facet pain as well, diagnostically, prior to considering "burning" the nerve and that is aimed at the medial branch of the the nerve exiting the spine and called a medial branch block. Again, that is following typically be another procedure if the person does in fact have relief from the " nerve block." In rare cases medial branch blocks create lasting relief more than hours.

 

[Bio]

When you say nerve block, are you referring to RFA (Radio Frequency Ablation). Also, to make the comment that surgery is off the table until you die, doesn't make any sense at all. First off, there are many different types of surgery. Some fairly minor that might solve your problem(s). The real problem will come when you do permanent damage to the nerve! RFA can help, I've had it done several times but you can also do much more damage to the area in question when the pain signal isn't there to warn you of the problem!

 

[cage99]

I’ve ran the gauntlet of the non-surgical lower back procedures. Did the epidurals, never lasted long. Then did the nerve block, basically the same as the epidurals. Lastly the RFA, that was useless for me. I need a fusion. Just not willing to do it just yet.

For some the epidurals and blocks work! So it’s worth the gamble in my opinion.

Cage

 

[alfresco]

I’ve ran the gauntlet of the non-surgical lower back procedures. Did the epidurals, never lasted long. Then did the nerve block, basically the same as the epidurals. Lastly the RFA, that was useless for me. I need a fusion. Just not willing to do it just yet.

For some the epidurals and blocks work! So it’s worth the gamble in my opinion.

Cage

And notorious.

Tried rhizotomy? Heat.

My doctor mentioned it to me. I have disc degeneration and arthritis is my low back. Inherited. Good and bad days but always tolerable for now.

He did caution me about lifting as the loss of sensation could be problematic and could cause damage that would, may have been, otherwise avoided.

I’m not there yet.

 

[cage99]

And notorious.

Tried rhizotomy? Heat.

My doctor mentioned it to me. I have disc degeneration and arthritis is my low back. Inherited. Good and bad days but always tolerable for now.

He did caution me about lifting as the loss of sensation could be problematic and could cause damage that would, may have been, otherwise avoided.

I’m not there yet.

Never looked into the rhizotomy. It’s similar in nature to the ablation I’ve had. However, it seems like the rhizotomy procedure has a better end result.

Cage

 

[alfresco]

Never looked into the rhizotomy. It’s similar in nature to the ablation I’ve had. However, it seems like the rhizotomy procedure has a better end result.

Cage

Yes, very very effective. And much much safer (relative) than other procedures but is not forever which I actually think is a good thing.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

 

[lookslikesausage]

can someone correct me if I'm wrong but isn't rfa (Radio Frequency Ablation aka Radio Frequency Nerve Ablation) the most common type of Rhizotomy performed by Pain Mgmt specialists?