Nerve Block for Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain

E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine

Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine

Jimmy Ruiz MD - Hematology, Oncology

Heather Quinn MD - Family Medicine

<div id="HwMain" class="HwBlock"> <script language="javascript">  if (!window.org) var org = { healthwise: {'application':{}} }; else if (!window.org.healthwise) org["healthwise"] = {'application':{}}; org.healthwise.config = { root: 'https://assetpool.healthwise.net/14.4/common/desktop/alpine.rhtml.kbnet.awesome/', locale: 'en-us', version: '14.4', isoshg: false }; org.healthwise.document = {}; org.healthwise.document.id = "tv7942"; org.healthwise.document.section = ""; org.healthwise.document.healthwise = true; org.healthwise.document.title = "Nerve Block for Chronic Pain"; org.healthwise.document.family = "kb"; org.healthwise.document.doctype = "OtherDetail"; org.healthwise.document.pagetype = "content";  </script> <div class="HwRow"><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnSidebar1"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomSidebar"></div></div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnContent"><div id="HwContentTop"></div><div role="article" id="HwContentWrapper" class="HwTypeOtherDetail HwContentWrapper HwElement"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomContentTop"></div><div class="HwContentHeader"><p><a name="top" id="Hwtop"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Top of the page</span></a></p></div><div class="HwContentTitle"><h1 id="HwContentTitle">Nerve Block for Chronic Pain</h1></div><div class="HwContent"><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-tv7943"><a name="tv7943"></a><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" data-fingerprint="53454284" data-fingerprint-exact="eb4df20a">Treatment Overview</h2><p data-fingerprint="f3791e8a" data-fingerprint-exact="478141f0">A nerve block may be used to treat some kinds of chronic pain. It relieves pain by interrupting how pain signals are sent to your brain. It is done by injecting a medicine near a nerve or near the spinal cord or nerve root.</p><p data-fingerprint="b7c3cf55" data-fingerprint-exact="bf65c030">A test block is usually done with a short-acting local anesthetic. It numbs the area of pain to see if you get good pain relief. If you do, your doctor may inject another medicine, such as a steroid or alcohol, that may provide long-lasting pain relief.</p></div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-tv7945"><a name="tv7945"></a><a class="HwSectionNameTag" name="tv7945" id="anchor-tv7945" aria-hidden="true"></a><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" data-fingerprint="3d5095ef" data-fingerprint-exact="55cd7304">Why It Is Done</h2><p data-fingerprint="1c816965" data-fingerprint-exact="011feaef">Nerve blocks may be used to:</p><ul data-fingerprint="c89f335d" data-fingerprint-exact="afe3e2c1"><li>Relieve painful conditions, including cancer pain.</li><li>Find the source of chronic pain.</li><li>Predict how pain will respond to long-term treatments.</li></ul></div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-tv7946"><a name="tv7946"></a><a class="HwSectionNameTag" name="tv7946" id="anchor-tv7946" aria-hidden="true"></a><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" data-fingerprint="f5001b9d" data-fingerprint-exact="74f07377">How Well It Works</h2><p data-fingerprint="8535aba2" data-fingerprint-exact="79980d06">How well a nerve block for chronic pain works depends on the type of block, the medicines used, and the cause of the pain that's being treated. Some blocks last from a few hours up to a day. Others last for months. And some can give permanent relief. Sometimes the block needs to be repeated.</p><p data-fingerprint="ffc6c8b5" data-fingerprint-exact="68b086de">Nerve blocks can work well for some kinds of cancer pain. But they may not work as well for something like low back pain.</p><p data-fingerprint="50f1747c" data-fingerprint-exact="1ade60d7">Your doctor can help you understand how well a nerve block might work for you.</p></div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-tv7947"><a name="tv7947"></a><a class="HwSectionNameTag" name="tv7947" id="anchor-tv7947" aria-hidden="true"></a><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" data-fingerprint="a566bce5" data-fingerprint-exact="1aacb8d8">Risks</h2><p data-fingerprint="3b8c06cc" data-fingerprint-exact="748eaa5e">Problems after a nerve block aren't common. There is a small risk of nerve damage, infection, or bleeding. In rare cases, the medicines used can affect the <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hwid="stc123713" href="document/stc123713/stc123713-sec" data-document-type="Definition" data-document-href="stc123713" data-section-href="stc123713-sec" data-articleId="stc123713" data-topicId="stc123713-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">central nervous system</span></a>, <a class="HwLinkMultiMedia" data-hwid="tp9811" href="document/tp9811/tp9811-sec" data-document-type="MultiMedia" data-document-href="tp9811" data-section-href="tp9811-sec" data-link-type="image" data-articleId="tp9811" data-topicId="tp9811-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">cardiovascular system</span></a>, and <a class="HwLinkMultiMedia" data-hwid="ug2841" href="document/ug2841/ug2841-sec" data-document-type="MultiMedia" data-document-href="ug2841" data-section-href="ug2841-sec" data-link-type="image" data-articleId="ug2841" data-topicId="ug2841-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">respiratory system</span></a> (airway and lungs).</p></div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwCreditsSection HwCreditsWithoutNavstack HwSectionCredits" id="sec-tv7942-Credits"><a name="tv7942-Credits"></a><a class="HwSectionNameTag" name="tv7942-Credits" id="anchor-tv7942-Credits" aria-hidden="true"></a><h2 class="HwSectionTitle">Credits</h2><div class="HwContentInformation"><div class="HwContentInformation HwContentInformationNoSections"><div class="HwLastUpdated"><p><span class="HwInfoLabel">Current as of: </span>July 31, 2024</p></div><div class="HwCredits"><p><span class="HwInfoLabel">Author: </span><a class="HwLinkDisclaimer" href="https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en">Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff</a></p><p><a class="HwLinkDisclaimer" href="https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en"><span><b>Clinical Review Board</b></span></a><br />All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomContentBottom"></div><div class="HwContentNavigation HwContentNavigationNoSections"><div class="HwContentNavigationNone"></div><div class="HwContentNavigationTop"><a href="#top">Top of the page</a></div><div class="HwContentNavigationNone"></div></div><div class="HwContentInformation HwContentInformationNoSections"><div class="HwLastUpdated"><p><span class="HwInfoLabel">Current as of: </span>July 31, 2024</p></div><div class="HwCredits"><p><span class="HwInfoLabel">Author: </span><a class="HwLinkDisclaimer" href="https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en">Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff</a></p><p><a class="HwLinkDisclaimer" href="https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en"><span><b>Clinical Review Board</b></span></a><br />All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnSidebar2"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomNavigationTop"><div class="HwSocialMediaIcons" xmlns=""></div></div><div id="HwNavigationWrapper" class="HwElement"><div id="HwNavigation" class="HwNavigation" role="navigation"><h3 id="HwNavStackHeader" class="HwNavStackHeader">Topic Contents</h3><ul aria-labelledby="HwNavStackHeader"><li id="nav-tv7943"><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hwid="tv7942" href="#tv7943" data-section-href="tv7943" data-topicId="tv7943" data-articleId="tv7942" data-document-type="OtherDetail" data-document-href="tv7942">Treatment Overview</a></li><li id="nav-tv7945"><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hwid="tv7942" href="#tv7945" data-section-href="tv7945" data-topicId="tv7945" data-articleId="tv7942" data-document-type="OtherDetail" data-document-href="tv7942">Why It Is Done</a></li><li id="nav-tv7946"><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hwid="tv7942" href="#tv7946" data-section-href="tv7946" data-topicId="tv7946" data-articleId="tv7942" data-document-type="OtherDetail" data-document-href="tv7942">How Well It Works</a></li><li id="nav-tv7947"><a class="HwLinkNavstack" data-hwid="tv7942" href="#tv7947" data-section-href="tv7947" data-topicId="tv7947" data-articleId="tv7942" data-document-type="OtherDetail" data-document-href="tv7942">Risks</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomNavigationBottom"></div><div class="HwElement" id="HwMediaItemsWrapper"><div id="HwMediaItems"><ol class="HwMediaItemList"><li id="HwMediaItem-tp9811" class="HwMediaItem HwMediaItemTopicImage"><a class="HwMediaItemLink" data-hwid="tp9811" href="document/tp9811" data-document-type="MultiMedia" data-document-href="tp9811" data-name-href="Cardiovascular system" data-rel="MultiMedia image" data-articleId="tp9811" rel="MultiMedia image"><img class="HwMediaImage" src="https://content.healthwise.net/resources/14.4/en-us/media/thumbnails/h9991261_001_1tt.jpg" width="120" height="90" alt="" data-resource-path="media/thumbnails/h9991261_001_1tt.jpg"></img><span class="HwMediaTitle">Cardiovascular system</span></a></li><li id="HwMediaItem-ug2841" class="HwMediaItem HwMediaItemTopicImage"><a class="HwMediaItemLink" data-hwid="ug2841" href="document/ug2841" data-document-type="MultiMedia" data-document-href="ug2841" data-name-href="Respiratory system" data-rel="MultiMedia image" data-articleId="ug2841" rel="MultiMedia image"><img class="HwMediaImage" src="https://content.healthwise.net/resources/14.4/en-us/media/thumbnails/acl3945_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" alt="" data-resource-path="media/thumbnails/acl3945_120x120.jpg"></img><span class="HwMediaTitle">Respiratory system</span></a></li><li id="HwMediaItem-abp6206" class="HwMediaItem HwMediaItemTopicImage"><a class="HwMediaItemLink" data-hwid="abp6206" href="document/abp6206" data-document-type="MultiMedia" data-document-href="abp6206" data-name-href="Learning About Peripheral Nerve Blocks and I.V. Regional Anesthesia" data-rel="MultiMedia video 00:04:44" data-articleId="abp6206" rel="MultiMedia video 00:04:44"><img class="HwMediaImage" src="https://content.healthwise.net/resources/14.4/en-us/media/thumbnails/abp6206_media_lib_thumb.jpg" width="120" height="90" alt="" data-resource-path="media/thumbnails/abp6206_media_lib_thumb.jpg"></img><span class="HwMediaTitle">Learning About Peripheral Nerve Blocks and I.V. Regional Anesthesia</span></a></li></ol></div></div></div></div><div id="HwFooter" class="HwBlock"><div class="HwDisplayNone"><div class="HwDisclaimer"><p>This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Ignite Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the <a class="HwLinkExternal" href="https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/terms.aspx">Terms of Use</a>. 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Nerve Block for Chronic Pain

Treatment Overview

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Why It Is Done

How Well It Works

Risks

Credits