For you who’s in pain, it has become a constant in your lives. In fact, according to CDC, back in 2018, about 20.4% of the U.S. population is estimated to suffer from chronic pain, while approximately 8% of adults in the U.S. suffer from high-impact chronic pain. Can you relate?
This is a sad reality that many of us face. Fortunately, there are treatments available today that can help you give relief.
AZ Pain Medicine Clinic’s pain specialists offer nerve block injections to help you manage your pain for a faster result. Why? Because, nerve blocks have been proven to be more effective than intravenous or intramuscular methods. Since there’s no need to recover from a nerve block, you may even be able to continue with your diet and undergo physical therapy at an earlier rate for a faster recovery.
Nerve blocks, also known as neural blockades, are medical procedures that can help avert or manage various types of pain. They often take the form of pain-blocking medical injections, thereby making specific bundles of nerves in the body numb to any kind of pain.
Aside from pain relief, these local anesthetics can also help patients totally lose their sense of touch, which may become necessary for surgical procedures or physical therapy.
Nerve blocks can also manage the pain experienced by patients with chronic health conditions or injuries in which the nerves have been damaged, inflamed, or irritated. Some cases where a patient may find nerve blocks beneficial include knee joint pain, lower back pain, and chronic pain.
A nerve block is injected near specific neurons and is typically done either before or after certain types of procedures, such as spinal surgeries. It aims to decrease pain in certain parts of your body or even deliberately cut or destroy certain nerves during surgery.
Nerve blocks can have more benefits than general anesthesia. With neural blockades, the chances are higher that you can have greater control over your pain. Consequently, recovery is quicker, and you get to spend less time in the hospital.
Aside from helping you manage chronic, debilitating pain post-surgery, nerve blocks are also commonly used for patients who feel pain in body areas like their spine, limbs, neck, and even the buttocks.
AZ Pain Medicine’s nerve block procedure can help ease acute pain and offers the possibility of long-term relief, as some injections reduce nerve irritation and allow for better healing. Take note, however, that some patients might require repeated treatment for inflammation and pain since the drug used for their procedure can wear off after a few hours.
Some health care providers also use a nerve block as a tool to find out what is causing your pain and where it is coming from. By determining your body’s reaction to a nerve block and how it is linked to the pain you’re feeling, our health care team can help you better figure out the best way to treat it.
Your Pain Doctor or Pain Specialist from AZ Pain Medicine may discuss the appropriateness and benefits of nerve blocks in managing any of the following pain types:
You don’t have to worry about the risks of administering these injections since our pain doctors are qualified to administer these anesthetic procedures. Consequently, we can help people with chronic pain function much better in their everyday lives.
Because pain may originate from different regions in the body, the type of nerve block that you as a patient may need may be different for another.
Your pain specialist may advise you to use different kinds of neural blockade injections depending on the cause of pain, your overall health, and the type of surgical procedure you’re having.
Listed below are some of the different types of neural blockades:
Likely the most well-known neural blockades, however, are epidural nerve blocks. A lot of pregnant women request this epidural during childbirth in order to relieve themselves from the pain of labor and delivery. Here, your pain doctors inject an anesthetic drug into the region just outside your spinal column.
The effects of nerve blocks can either be long-lasting or temporary.
The procedure requires the administration of hair-thin needles along with a fluoroscope, an ultrasound, or a CT scan in order to guide the needle more accurately and monitor the progress of the nerve block medication. We may also use electrical stimulation at low levels so that we can better locate the nerve that is causing patients pain.
With the nerve block, the area on which the drug is administered becomes numb, thus easing patients’ pain. In some cases, the affected nerves are even intentionally damaged or cut to prevent the neurons’ impulses from reaching the brain and the spinal cord. This is usually done in surgical nerve blocks.
Except in certain cases, it is usually the patient’s choice whether they would like to stay awake or to be asleep during the surgery. A sterile drape is placed between you and the surgeon during the procedure, so the chances are high that you won’t even know what’s going on. If you do want to fall asleep, you may also be given a dose of heavy sedation to knock you out.
In general, it can take us less than 10 minutes to administer these local anesthetics. You can typically expect to feel the full effects of the procedure after about half an hour.
In some cases, a single shot of a nerve block can last up to 24 hours. Some surgeries can cause significant pain after an operation, and side effects of nerve blocks can include swelling and bruising. In the event that your pain gets worse after the nerve block, we can provide you with additional medication to help alleviate the pain post-surgery.
For patients that experience severe pain after the nerve block wears off, medications may come in the form of prescription pain medications that you can take home. In some cases, you may require opioids to help with the pain post-op, especially if you had the nerve blocks for a bleeding disorder or contraindications. We have alternatives to this that can help you manage or avoid the pain altogether.
If you are worried about the opioid option, we suggest that you discuss it with your Pain Doctor to see what other options are available. This way, you can limit the use of these opioids and prevent any risk of misuse as well as other serious health risks that may come with it.
Generally, there can be some minor discomfort when getting a neural blockade. However, some patients have reported that the pain is relatively minor as compared to having a small IV catheter placed. In the Arizona pain clinic, we give sedating medicines to help you relax and numb the skin before placement.
Heaviness and numbness from the nerve block are to be expected after surgery, and you should talk to your caregivers before you stand up or try to move around since your muscle control could still be affected after the operation.
Some patients may feel pain after the nerve block wears off. If this happens, we have nerve block medication pills that can help ease your pain.
We highly recommend that you talk to an anesthesiologist or to your surgeon before making the decision to get the injection. This way, you can check if you are eligible for a nerve block procedure. You might have pre-existing conditions that make you ineligible, so it is best to be prepared. Health conditions like bleeding disorders and even something as minor as an infection can affect your eligibility.
If you are under any medication, you should definitely consult a medical provider to check if the nerve block will cause any adverse effects to your body.
Like all medical procedures, neural blockades carry some risks with them. Nerve block side effects after surgery may include bleeding, soreness, or infection at the site of the injection. Compared with many procedures, however, nerve blocks appear to be quite safe. In fact, the rate of nerve injury is generally low, varying with the type of nerve blockade and surgery. Nerve injury is rare if it happens at all. In most cases, nerve block complications are temporary and usually fade over time.
AZ Pain Medicine Clinic offers nerve blocks for pain management as well as other pain procedures. Our non-invasive pain treatments have also been tailored to each patient’s specific case for faster and effective results.
Our pain specialists also use medicines and equipment that not many may easily find in other medical centers. We provide excellent pain management care through years of experience.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, call +1-602-368-8800. We are here for you from Mondays to Fridays – 8 am to 6 pm.
Mon - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tue - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wed - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thu - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Fri - Closed
Sat - Closed
Sun - Closed
Address: 8805 N 23rd Ave. Suite # 160 Phoenix, AZ 85021
Phone: 1-844-999-2976
Fax: 602-368-8801
Email: info@azpainmed.com
We can take new patients on a walk-in basis and you can come in Monday to Thursday 8am-6pm.
PatriciaJanuary 22, 2024They are very thorough upon your first visit to know and understand your needs. They are very courteous. Unfortunately they don’t bill insurance and aren’t contracted with any so the $149 you pay is unlikely to be reimbursed by insurance. However they are worth the $149 per visit. They do make every effort to prescribe the amount needed to truly alleviate your pain. Excellent care overall.
Jeanette DouglasJanuary 18, 2024Thank you for all your help this month. Dealing with COVID ,and blood pressure issues. I’m am so sick.
dwayne washingtonJanuary 17, 2024GREAT PLACE GREAT TREATMENT PLAN FOR PATIENCE
Ƥitcђ ShifterJanuary 17, 2024Great, caring staff, each one special in their own way. I’ve never had a bad experience with this group. I would highly recommend them
Melissa FernsJanuary 17, 2024Love the staff they are very polite and friendly
Rudy RspinozaJanuary 17, 2024It was good as usual, I have never had a bad experience. I’m always early and I’m seen soon after my arrival. But
Todd CoslettJanuary 11, 2024Always a great experience. Catherine is very friendly, caring, and helpful. She loves Doggies Too. Many Times here now and still friendliest, most caring people especially in Pain Medicine, but also in all medical practices I have been too. Highly Rated and Nobody there will give up on trying to help you with your pains.
Elisha FaithJanuary 11, 2024Best Pain Management clinic I’ve been to in 10 years! I was so impressed by how friendly and professional the staff is. And the physicians assistant Katie that I saw was very thorough and discussed the issues that are going on with my spine and causing me so much pain. We developed a plan of action for treatment. I feel like I’m in good hands here. ~~thank you AZ pain, medicine clinic! ~~ Leisha
Julie SteinbachJanuary 10, 2024The staff is nice, experienced and helpful.
N TJanuary 10, 2024My husband was very impressed by the doctor spending time with him and making him feel comfortable also her sidekick was charming.
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