A 46-year-old member asked:
What are nerve blocks?
3 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in
Dr. Ron Jonesanswered
Family Medicine 47 years experience
Injections.: Nerve, spinal nerve roots, and medial branch blocks (for facet joints) are injections done using a local anesthetic to determine if a specific nerve, specific spinal nerve root, or facet nerve is the source of pain. Blocks also can be used to reduce inflammation and pain when used with a steroid.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Ron Jones commented
Family Medicine 47 years experience
Provided original answer
Drugs are not going to find which nerve is the problem. If you have a problem interfering with your quality of life and it is nerve related (but cannot be determined), then a nerve block would be helpful in ID of that nerve, THEN treatment. A diagnostic nerve block, in my opinion, is not a last resort procedure.
Jan 2, 2012
Dr. Arthur Marlinanswered
Neurosurgery 51 years experience
Injections : Injections of local anesthetics around the nerve.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A Verified Doctoranswered
Neurosurgery 31 years experience
Nerve block: Nerve blocks are a generic term usually to mean NUMBING a particular nerve (or nerve root in or as it leaves the spine) to both test a source of a problem (like pain, numbness, tingling, etc), and possibly also treat that problem.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
18 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 30-year-old member asked:
What are nerve blocks like?
3 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Karen Sibertanswered
Anesthesiology 41 years experience
Different options: There are different kinds. When used for surgery, they make the part of the body numb--for example, they are often used for shoulder surgery. Often a nerve block is put in to help with postop pain, for total knee replacement as an example. Depending on the medication used, they may block movement as well as sensation. Talk to your anesthesiologist about exactly what kind would be best for you.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Dec 20, 2020
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