Pain Management: Nerve Blocks
Introduction
Often a group of nerves, called a plexus or ganglion, that causes pain to a specific organ or body region can be blocked with the injection of medication into a specific area of the body. The injection of this nerve-numbing substance is called a nerve block.
How Are Nerve Blocks Used?
Different kinds of nerve blocks are used for different 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) to block the activity of a nerve 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, followed in parentheses by some of the parts of the body for which 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)
Next: Other nerve blocks »
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