Pain, when left untreated, results in many complications. The pain can lead to substance abuse, worsening health conditions, psychiatric disorders like stress, anxiety, and depression, and generally, impact the quality of your life. AABP Integrative Pain Care can help you find practical pain management options and avoid such concerns. The methods include nerve blocks, a popular treatment, especially when you have tried opioids or other measures with little or no success and are not open or a good surgery candidate.
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What nerve blocks entail
Nerve blocks work by altering signals between nerve cells and your brain. As the name suggests, the treatment blocks the signals. Instead of pain, you may experience a numb or tingling sensation. During the treatment, anesthesia which may also include anti-inflammatory medication, is injected into the target area, targeting the nerve(s) endings. The doctor could also cut or destroy the nerve cell, which is common in nerve blocks for chronic pain.
Nerve blocks offer almost instant pain relief. The treatment is ideal for preventing and managing pain, including on both short and long-term basis. Since the treatment does not rely on pain-alleviating medications, it lessens complications like developing drug dependence. The approach is also viable in instances you would not qualify for surgery.
Nerve block types
Non-surgical
The treatments are a go-to for delivering short-term pain relief, including anesthesia, such as during surgery. The temporary nerve block types include:
- Epidural: This is the most popular treatment involving an injection outside the spinal cord. The injection contains analgesic or steroid medication. It is commonly used during/after childbirth or as an anesthetic during certain surgeries.
- Peripheral: The treatment numbs a given nerve causing the pain
- Sympathetic: The approach entails temporary numbing the nerve to block the pain around a given area of the nervous system
- · Spinal: This involves an injection into the fluid surrounding your spinal cord.
Surgical
Surgical nerve blocks entail destroying/damaging specific nerve cells, meaning it is permanent. It does not alter, but the signals but rather completely blocks that link. The treatment is mainly used in managing chronic conditions causing debilitating pain. The main surgical nerve blocks types are:
- Rhizotomy: The treatment works by destroying the root of a nerve that comes from your spine.
- Sympathetic: This uses a drug to block an entire area of your nervous system and permanently destroy a nerve.
- Neurectomy: The approach entails the removal of a part/all of a peripheral nerve. This blocks the pathway, meaning the signal won’t reach the brain.
Nerve block treatment is safe and ideal for almost anyone. Nonetheless, here are risks and complications, though rare. Bleeding and infection at the injection site can happen. Also, in some instances, the temporary nerve block can result in permanent nerve damage. The surrounding nerves can also be affected, especially when they are close together, making it difficult for a doctor to identify and treat the affected nerve.
Under an experienced specialist’s hands, nerve blocks offer an effective pain management solution. This can help avoid or delay invasive options like surgery. Contact AABP Integrative Pain Care today for more on nerve blocks.