What is a nerve block?
Peripheral nerve blocks are injections involving the use of an anaesthetic and at this clinic also the use of 5% dextrose.
How do they work?
At this clinic we combine a low dose of anaesthetic (usually lidocaine) with 5% dextrose (sugar water). The anaesthetic mildly numbs the area treated, and wears off after about an hour. The 5% dextrose works by attaching to receptors on the nerve cell membrane, and this results in a reduction in nerve swelling, and consequently a reduction in pain. There are many studies to show how effective 5% dextrose is on inflamed nerves.
What conditions do they treat?
Sometimes nerves become trapped by a fracture, or scar tissue from an injury forms around the nerve. Other times muscles can contract too much and cause nerves to be pinched (such as in the neck, causing headaches). Other times medical conditions can cause inflammation in nerves. Nerve pain is either sharp and shooting (usually initially) or burning or tingling (as time goes on). This type of neuropathic pain can be treated by nerve blocks.
Even pain from arthritis can be improved by injecting around the nerves of that joint, for example knee arthritis.
How many times to I need treatment?
This varies from person to person and degree of injury. Often Dr Bowler will inject you about 3 x in 8 weeks, and then appointments are spread out over increasingly longer intervals. Sometimes pain goes away for good but other times it needs repeating maybe 2 - 4 x a year for example.
Is there a cost for the nerve block?
Nerve blocks are completely covered by MSP. However, on occasion (rarely) cortisone is added if we cannot achieve a long-lasting effect. We charge a medication for cortisone: $25.
How is the nerve identified?
Dr Jannice Bowler uses ultrasound guidance to identify where the nerve is. Then ultrasound is also used to guide the needle injecting carefully around the nerve to treat it.
Are there any risks to treatment?
There are a few risks to any injection, such as temporary soreness from the needle itself, bruising, or very rarely infection (with any injection). Risks to nerve blocks specifically can be a short-lived "zing" felt on occasion which can be felt anywhere along the path of the nerve (this is uncommon), to very rare episodes of temporary nerve injury which may last up to 6 weeks before it goes away.
How quickly does the pain go away after a nerve block?
Sometimes this is nearly immediate. However, some people get a "needle stiffness" for the first day or so and then notice an improvement after that.
Peripheral nerve blocks are injections involving the use of an anaesthetic and at this clinic also the use of 5% dextrose.
How do they work?
At this clinic we combine a low dose of anaesthetic (usually lidocaine) with 5% dextrose (sugar water). The anaesthetic mildly numbs the area treated, and wears off after about an hour. The 5% dextrose works by attaching to receptors on the nerve cell membrane, and this results in a reduction in nerve swelling, and consequently a reduction in pain. There are many studies to show how effective 5% dextrose is on inflamed nerves.
What conditions do they treat?
Sometimes nerves become trapped by a fracture, or scar tissue from an injury forms around the nerve. Other times muscles can contract too much and cause nerves to be pinched (such as in the neck, causing headaches). Other times medical conditions can cause inflammation in nerves. Nerve pain is either sharp and shooting (usually initially) or burning or tingling (as time goes on). This type of neuropathic pain can be treated by nerve blocks.
Even pain from arthritis can be improved by injecting around the nerves of that joint, for example knee arthritis.
How many times to I need treatment?
This varies from person to person and degree of injury. Often Dr Bowler will inject you about 3 x in 8 weeks, and then appointments are spread out over increasingly longer intervals. Sometimes pain goes away for good but other times it needs repeating maybe 2 - 4 x a year for example.
Is there a cost for the nerve block?
Nerve blocks are completely covered by MSP. However, on occasion (rarely) cortisone is added if we cannot achieve a long-lasting effect. We charge a medication for cortisone: $25.
How is the nerve identified?
Dr Jannice Bowler uses ultrasound guidance to identify where the nerve is. Then ultrasound is also used to guide the needle injecting carefully around the nerve to treat it.
Are there any risks to treatment?
There are a few risks to any injection, such as temporary soreness from the needle itself, bruising, or very rarely infection (with any injection). Risks to nerve blocks specifically can be a short-lived "zing" felt on occasion which can be felt anywhere along the path of the nerve (this is uncommon), to very rare episodes of temporary nerve injury which may last up to 6 weeks before it goes away.
How quickly does the pain go away after a nerve block?
Sometimes this is nearly immediate. However, some people get a "needle stiffness" for the first day or so and then notice an improvement after that.