Nerve root blocks are an effective part of a pain management plan for nerve-related conditions that cause severe or chronic pain. If you’re scheduled to have a nerve root block, knowing what to expect before, during, and after treatment can ease any worries you have.
At Integrated Neurology Services, we offer nerve root blocks to manage conditions like neuropathy and sciatica. Our goal is to provide lasting pain relief and to help you avoid invasive procedures, including surgery.
Our skilled neurologists use the latest imaging technology to guide injections into specific areas of the body to maximize pain relief. We also provide follow-up visits to monitor the effectiveness of a nerve root block and determine if you’re a candidate for additional injections to manage a nerve-related condition.
A nerve root block is a minimally invasive procedure that delivers a local anesthetic and steroids into a nerve root in the spinal column.
The steroid component of the injection quickly reduces the inflammation around the spinal nerves that contributes to chronic pain. The anesthetic medication provides fast relief of pain by blocking pain signals from the nerve before they reach the brain.
Our Integrated Neurology Services team also uses nerve root blocks as a diagnostic tool to identify the source of persistent pain. Injecting medications into a specific nerve root can determine if it’s responsible for your chronic pain.
If treatment is successful, you may be a candidate for additional nerve blocks. If pain persists after the injection, your provider might target different nerve roots until pain relief is achieved.
Nerve root blocks target conditions that relate to irritated, inflamed, or compressed spinal nerves. You might be a candidate for a nerve root block if you have conditions like:
Nerve root blocks aren’t typically the first line of treatment for chronic pain. Initially, our neurologists may prescribe oral medications to reduce inflammation and pain. If this treatment strategy isn’t working well, a nerve root block may be an option.
If you experience a reduction in symptoms during a diagnostic nerve root block, our providers may recommend additional injections to manage your symptoms and make it easier to participate in physical therapy and other rehabilitative activities.
To receive a spinal nerve root block, you lie on your stomach on an exam table. We clean the injection site and can administer a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable.
Our team uses fluoroscopy — real-time X-ray technology — to guide a needle into a specific location within your spine. In some cases, we first inject a contrast dye to highlight the targeted nerve and position the needle correctly.
You may feel some slight pressure or discomfort when your provider injects the medications. The injection site may be tender or bruised for several days. You can manage any discomfort by applying an ice pack to the area several times a day.
Some people feel an immediate reduction in their pain; however, it can take 2-3 days before you experience the full benefit of a nerve root block. If the injection is successful, our providers discuss a timeline for additional injections. If you don’t achieve adequate pain relief with a nerve root block, the team reviews other pain management options for your condition.
Call Integrated Neurology Services today or book a consultation online to find out if a nerve root block is an option for your pain condition. We have locations in Lorton, Alexandria, and Falls Church, Virginia.
