Blocks are injections of medication onto or near nerves. The medications that are injected include local anesthetics, steroids, and opioids. In some cases of severe pain it is even necessary to destroy a nerve with injections of phenol, pure ethanol, or by using needles that freeze or heat the nerves. Injections into joints are also referred to as blocks. Although not technically correct, such shorthand is commonly used.
Purpose of Nerve Block :
- Blocks with local anesthetic can be used to control acute pain. (Hence, the shot at the dentist or the epidural block for a surgery or a delivery.)
- Pain and injury often makes nerves more sensitive, so that they signal pain with less provocation. Think about lightly brushing against your skin when you have a sunburn. Blocks can provide periods of dramatic pain relief, which promotes the desensitization of sensory pathways.
- Steroids can help reduce nerve and joint inflammation and can reduce the abnormal triggering of signals from injured nerves.
- Blocks often provide diagnostic information, helping to determine the source of the pain.
Remember, blocks are not the best treatment for all pain problems. Often blocks are not possible, too dangerous, or simply are not the best treatment for the problem.
How Are Nerve Blocks Used? :
There are different kinds of nerve blocks used for various purposes.
- Therapeutic nerve blocks are used to treat painful conditions. Such nerve blocks contain local anesthetic that can be used to control acute pain.
- Diagnostic nerve blocks are used to determine sources of pain. These blocks typically contain an anesthetic with a known duration of relief.
- Prognostic nerve blocks predict the outcomes of given treatments. For example, a nerve block may be performed to determine if more permanent treatments (such as surgery) would be successful in treating pain.
- Preemptive nerve blocks are meant to prevent subsequent pain from a procedure that can cause problems including phantom limb pain.
- Nerve blocks can be used, in some cases, to avoid surgery.
Types of Nerve Blocks :
Various areas of pain require different nerve block types. Below are a few of the available nerve blocks and some parts of the body where they are used.
- 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, thoracic epidural, and lumbar epidural block (neck and back),
- Cervical plexus block and cervical paravertebral block (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 types of Nerve Blocks :
Other types of nerve blocks include:
- Sympathetic Nerve Block
- Stellate ganglion Block
- Facet Joint Block
