Have you ever heard of non steroidal nerve block injections?

[Ina]

I have been doing as much as I can while trying to stay out of my wheelchair. The pain in my spine is getting unbearable, and the loss of movement in my arms and legs is happening more frequently. Since an operation is not an option for me, my doctor is wanting to try something called Nerve Block, so I wanted to check it out and ask those of you that know something about it. So please let me know what you think, or what you might of experienced concerning this treatment. This is what I found out concerning nerve blocks.

I need to let the doctor know something by March 2nd. So any information you might be able to provide me will be greatly appreciated. Here is what I have found.

 

[AprilT]

I've posted several times on here about having the facet joint blocks to no avail. I've posted videos of the procedures of what they did, I had them in my back on several occasions. But it's a very individual thing as to what works for one person and not another. I believe someone else on the site mentioned having them done a time or two as well. It had been suggested I get them again, I felt is was pointless as well as having the another epidural injection procedure repeated, which I'm sure contributed to the reason I can no longer sleep horizontally. For the last two years now, I've only been able sleep in a recliner chair in order to avoid even more excruciating pains which shoot up and down my legs when I sleep stretched out.

 

[FazeFour]

Due to a number of spinal maladies, I had the injections in my lumbar spine. For me, the results were miraculous - back pain immediately reduced about 75%-80%, and the results improved a month later! Also reduced my neck pain by about 50%, which tells me that a lot of that pain was tension and musculo-skeletal compensation. The weakness in my arms and hands also improved about 30%-40%...not much, but enough to get me back to gardening.

It's been nearly 4 months since the treatment. About 6 weeks after treatment, I had a bad period that lasted about two weeks. Then it got way better! So I'm sure I did too much too soon. You still can't over-do it, but you can do a lot more than before treatment. I've learned when I should quit doing, and rest for a while.

Because the nerves will heal (and I heal very quickly), how long the results last varies greatly from person to person. I am now experiencing level 5 pain in the evenings (was level 1-2 after treatment, and was 8-9 previous to treatment), so will be calling my doctor soon to schedule another treatment. I could have them closer together, but I have to budget.

 

[Butterfly]

My then-husband had several of these nerve blocks in facet joints in his spine, with not very good results. From the way I understand it, the blocks just work well for some and not for others. I don't know if I would try them or not. The results are temporary and they have to be repeated at intervals. My husband said the procedure was very unpleasant, to say the least. He opted not to have more after the first two or three.

Ina, do you have ruptured discs, or something else?

 

[Ina]

I have acute upper and lower spinal stenosis, and my spine is crumbling. Then add to that I broke my back at age nine. I watched my grandmother, mother, and a sister go through the same condition until they passed. My mother tried surgery in the 60's and 70's, but it only made things worse for her. The doctor want to see if he can discern which nerves are being pinched that is causing me to loose movement in my arms and legs. So not for pain relief so much as needed for diagnostics.

 

[Butterfly]

I don't know what I'd do, Ina. What could they then do if they had a good diagnosis -- surgery or something else, or just more injections? Could an MRI tell them what they need to know, or have you already had one?

I've heard of people for whom the pain relieving injections help a huge amount, and for others, not so much. My husband's issues came from a really horrific automobile accident he was involved in when a truck in which the driver fell asleep hit his car doing about 120 as estimated by the cops, and knocked his car off a freeway overpass onto the ground below.

 

[oldman]

I've posted several times on here about having the facet joint blocks to no avail. I've posted videos of the procedures of what they did, I had them in my back on several occasions. But it's a very individual thing as to what works for one person and not another. I believe someone else on the site mentioned having them done a time or two as well. It had been suggested I get them again, I felt is was pointless as well as having the another epidural injection procedure repeated, which I'm sure contributed to the reason I can no longer sleep horizontally. For the last two years now, I've only been able sleep in a recliner chair in order to avoid even more excruciating pains which shoot up and down my legs when I sleep stretched out.

Me too, AprilT. I have had several of the facet blocks. Sometimes they worked for maybe 6-8 months and then the next time, no relief. I finally went to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to see their head of Neurology. Previously, I was just going back to the surgeon that had performed the three spinal surgeries. The doctor at JH ordered another MRI. I went back about 10 days after the MRI and he said that, although the MRI does not clearly show his diagnosis, but what he believes is going on with me is that the sciatic nerve has embedded itself into the scar tissue post surgery. It is possible to remove it with surgery, but not with laser and that he would need to peel it with a scalpel, which in turn may cause more scar tissue. He said that the scar tissue would have to be "sliced" away a little at a time and would maybe take about 10-15 surgeries to accomplish what needs to be done. He recommended putting up with the pain or continue with the nerve blocks. Oh, BTW, I also have a bent Coccyx (tailbone).

The reason why the injections work only sometime is that it is dependent upon how "deep" the surgeon doing the block puts the needle. I went back to the doctor at JH a week later and he did a nerve block using the fluoroscope to guide the needle, which my surgeon did as well. He must have hit the mark because I have been pain free now for almost seven months. Before giving me the facet block they give me an injection of Lidocaine to help ease the pain of the long needle. It helps very little.

I wish you luck.

 

[oldman]

INA----Just a suggestion. I would ask the doctor what the name of the medicine is that he is going to use for the injection. I have learned that it is best to know what is going into your body 'before' it is injected. Be sure to tell him every medicine, both prescription and over the counter, that you are using. Even some over the counter or homeopathic medicines may effect other medications. And, keep in mind that anytime a doctor is going to treat a nerve and use a need to inject medication, it is best if he uses a fluoroscope to guide his needle. Putting a needle into an area filled with nerves blindly is very risky.

 

[Ina]

Thank you Butterfly, I get two, (upper and lower), MRI's every two years, and the doctor says that tells him what parts and how much deterioration has occurred in my spines. But it isn't telling him where or which nerves are being pinched. At nine I spent over a year, (my brother didn't jump all the way over me when playing leap frog, and it broke my back), in the Shriner's Children's hospital paralyzed from the waist down. Physical therapy is what help me then.

I have never heard of a nerve block before, and I wanted to get the good and bad overall opinions of some senior's that might have had the procedure. I've already been told that surgery was not an option for me. I'm use to the pain, but not being able to feel my arms or legs is starting to frighten me, At least it isn't all the time, but it is getting more frequently. If he can figure out which nerves are being pinched, then physical therapy might be able to target just those nerves without aggravating the surrounding nerves. It just scared me, and I wanted real people advice.

Wow, concerning your husband's accident, it sounds like he was lucky to survive. I'm scared to ask what his condition was and is today. Did he have permanent injuries? It is hard to believe that no permanent damage occurred. Poor man, I hope he is not dealing with too much pain now.

 

[Butterfly]

He ws totally and permanently disabled.

 

[Ruthanne]

Nerve blocks helped me a whole lot. I was in terrible pain from injuries to my neck. I had pain shooting down my arms and in my shoulders all the time. My doctor recommended me to a pain specialist who does nerve blocks. I had about 4 of them within a couple years and now all my pain is gone. I'm very happy that I had them and would do it again should the pain return.