Nerve block
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| Intervention: Nerve block | ||
|---|---|---|
| ICD-10 code: | ||
| ICD-9 code: | 04.81 | |
| Other codes: | ||
Regional nerve blockade, or more commonly nerve block, is a general term used to refer to the injection of local anesthetic onto or near nerves. Nerve blocks are used to help control pain, but also offer diagnostic benefits by helping to identify specific nerves as pain generators.
Nerve blocks in humans
Nerve blocks can help patients who suffer from lower back pain, neck pain, sciatica (from a herniated disc), spinal stenosis, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (a complex regional pain syndrome), shingles, cancer, and painful peripheral vascular disease. Proper patient selection is important.
Nerve blocks combine a local anesthetic (such as lidocaine) with a steroid (corticosteroid) and/or opioids. Steroids can help to reduce inflammation and opioids are painkillers. Depending on the purpose of the nerve block, other drugs or methods used include alcohol or phenol to selectively destroy nerve tissue, cryoanalgesia to freeze nerves, and Radiofrequency ablation to destroy nerve tissue using heat. Injection nerve blocks can be either single treatments, multiple injections over a period of time, or continuous infusions.
Nerve blocks are sterile procedures that are usually performed in an outpatient facility or hospital. The procedure can be performed with the help of ultrasound or fluoroscopy (a live X-ray), which enable the physician to view the placement of the needle. In addition, electrical stimulation can provide feedback on the proximity of the needle to the target nerve. Nerve blocks, like other medical procedures, are not risk-free. There is a possibility of side effects and complications from the procedure, needle puncture, and medications used. The most critical factor in the efficacy of a nerve block is the proper location of the target nerve.
External links
- Study finds nerve blocks provide little benefit beyond 3 months
- Video demonstrating a Continuous Nerve Block Technique in Orthopaedics
Surgery, Nervous system: neurosurgical procedures | |
|---|---|
| Skull, brain, and cerebral meninges | Craniotomy - Decompressive craniectomy - Lobotomy - Hemispherectomy - Ventriculostomy - Anterior temporal lobectomy |
| Spinal cord and spinal canal | Spinal cord and roots (Cordotomy - Rhizotomy) - Intervertebral discs (Discectomy - Intervertebral disc annuloplasty - Intervertebral disc arthroplasty) - Vertebral bones (Laminotomy - Laminectomy - Laminoplasty - Corpectomy - Facetectomy - Foraminotomy - Vertebral fusion - Vertebral fixation) - Lumbar puncture |
| Cranial and peripheral nerves | Ganglionectomy - Nerve block |
| Sympathetic nerves or ganglia | Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy |
| Other | Axotomy - Hypophysectomy - Vagotomy |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
