A nerve block is a safe, minimally invasive treatment for chronic nerve pain. At Healthcare Pain Centers LLC in Old Bridge, Edison, and Freehold, New Jersey, Francisco del Valle, MD, and the experienced pain management specialists use these injectable treatments to relieve pain from herniated discs, surgery, migraines, and other common conditions. Call Healthcare Pain Centers LLC or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about nerve blocks.
A nerve block is an injection of an anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory steroid to reduce pain and inflammation. Nerve blocks prevent dysfunctional nerves from sending pain signals to other areas of your body.
This temporary pain relief enables you to complete physical therapy or rehabilitation, so you can participate in your normal activities, such as work and exercise.
Nerve blocks can relieve pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness that many conditions can cause, including:
Arthritis is a degenerative condition that damages the joints. The most common type, osteoarthritis, causes cartilage deterioration, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that leads to chronic inflammation.
Spinal discs cushion the vertebrae that make up your spine. They also provide flexibility when you bend or turn. Spinal discs include a hard outer shell and a soft, jelly-like center. Small cracks in the disc may cause the center to push through, herniate, and inflame surrounding nerves.
Surgery can temporarily irritate or damage the nerves surrounding your surgical site. An anesthetic injection may reduce your discomfort if you have damaged or inflamed nerves after surgery.
Muscle strains, herniated discs, arthritis, and other injuries can irritate the nerves in the back, causing pain, tingling, and numbness.
Chronic headaches, including migraines, often stem from dysfunction in the cervical spine (neck). A nerve block can reduce inflammation in this area to help prevent frequent headaches.
There are three types of nonsurgical nerve blocks that can help relieve pain:
During a spinal nerve block, your doctor injects the anti-inflammatory medication into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.
An epidural nerve block involves injecting medication into the space outside of your spinal cord.
A peripheral nerve block targets the specific nerve that’s causing you pain by injecting the medication directly into it.
The pain specialists at Healthcare Pain Centers LLC may perform your nerve block at their office with an ultrasound or with fluoroscopic guidance at a nearby ambulatory surgical center.
Both methods use imaging to guide the nerve block medication into the targeted location. Fluoroscopic guidance uses real-time imaging for a high level of precision.
To learn more about nerve blocks, call Healthcare Pain Centers LLC or schedule an appointment online today.
