Nerve Blocks

A nerve block can be a valuable tool for both diagnosing and treating pain conditions, including disorders like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and many causes of back and neck pain. At The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, John Melek, MD, MSC, Engy Melek, MD, RD, LD, and the team specialize in relieving pain and improving function for patients using a variety of injectable nerve blocks. Call the office in Dallas, Texas, or book an appointment online today.

What is a nerve block?

A nerve block is a diagnostic tool that’s also effective in treating certain pain disorders. Nerve blocks consist of an injection of numbing medication or an anesthetic.

As well as large nerves throughout your body and the complex network of nerves in your spinal cord, you have clusters of nerves that cause pain in specific parts or organs. These clusters are known as ganglia or plexuses. One of the most familiar nerve clusters is the solar plexus in your abdomen.

The team at The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine uses nerve blocks to prevent pain signals from reaching your brain.

Are there different kinds of nerve blocks?

There are several different kinds of nerve blocks that the team at The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine can use to diagnose and treat pain conditions. They include:

Therapeutic nerve blocks

Therapeutic nerve blocks contain a local anesthetic, which provides short-term pain relief. They’re often used to manage acute pain.

Diagnostic nerve blocks

The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine team uses diagnostic nerve blocks to locate the source of your pain when it’s not clear from other diagnostic tests. If a nerve block injection at a certain point relieves your pain, your provider can determine what nerves are sending the pain signals and then pinpoint the origin of your pain.

Prognostic nerve blocks

Prognostic nerve blocks help to indicate the outcome you might expect from a more invasive treatment like surgery. This can save you from undergoing a procedure that might not effectively relieve your pain.

Preemptive nerve blocks

If you need a procedure that’s known to cause painful complications, a preemptive nerve block could help prevent those complications. For instance, surgeries such as amputation can cause phantom limb pain, which a preemptive nerve block could suppress.

What type of nerve block might I need?

Some of the nerve blocks the team at The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine performs include:

Sympathetic nerve block

Your sympathetic nervous system controls involuntary functions related to your fight-or-flight response, like increasing your heart rate and releasing the hormone adrenaline. A sympathetic nerve block can be useful for treating conditions like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

Facet joint and medial branch blocks

Your facet joints connect the vertebrae in your spine. Facet joint and medial branch blocks can help when you have problems like facet joint syndrome, post-whiplash injury, chronic back pain, and spondylosis.

Stellate ganglion block

The stellate ganglion is in your neck and is part of your sympathetic nervous system. A stellate ganglion block can help diagnose and treat conditions such as CRPS and phantom limb pain.

Nerve blocks are useful in many areas of the body. For example, you might have a trigeminal nerve block for facial pain, or a brachial plexus block for pain in your shoulder, arm, or hand.

To find out more about nerve blocks and learn whether they could help relieve your pain, call The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, or book an appointment online today.