Peripheral Nerve Block
The word peripheral means “situated at the edge (periphery) of something.” Peripheral nerves are the nerves situated at the outer edges of the spinal cord. From there, they branch out to the rest of the body where they control certain bodily functions and share sensory feedback with the brain. Think of the spinal cord as a tree trunk and the peripheral nerves as the branches.
As a result of medical conditions, injuries, or surgery, the peripheral nerves can become damaged or diseased, causing pain. A peripheral nerve block provides direct, localized pain relief to the affected area.
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What is a peripheral nerve block?
A peripheral nerve block is an anesthetic and diagnostic procedure that involves injecting medication near major peripheral nerves to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
There are several different kinds of peripheral nerve blocks. Each one is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure that focuses on a different part of the body.
Our pain doctors may also administer peripheral nerve blocks to help diagnose the cause of pain for certain conditions. If the block provides relief for the patient, our specialists can determine that the pain is related to the treated nerve, and not another issue going on inside the body.
What happens during a peripheral nerve block procedure?
You will be brought into the procedure room and laid on a special table. Your skin will be cleaned at the injection site and a local anesthetic will be applied. The physician performing the procedure will use a special kind of x-ray called a fluoroscope to guide the needle to the appropriate site.
A mixture of steroid (anti-inflammatory) and anesthetic (numbing) medication is injected at the site of the pain. The medication bathes the painful nerve, reducing inflammation and relieving pain.
A peripheral nerve block procedure only lasts 10-15 minutes but can provide months of effective pain relief.
Peripheral nerve blocks at Twin Cities Pain Clinic
The pain management experts at Twin Cities Pain Clinic specialize in all forms of peripheral nerve block procedures, performing thousands of injections each year at our outpatient surgery centers.
Schedule an appointment with Twin Cities Pain Clinic to discuss if a peripheral nerve block can help with your pain.
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