PainCare - the leading Pain Management specialists in NH

Lumbar sympathetic block is an injection around the sympathetic trunk (nerve tissue) that is located on either side of the lower spine. This injection blocks some of the sympathetic nerves that travel into the back and lower extremities. This may help to reduce pain, swelling, and improve blood flow into the lower extremities for conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS, also known as RSD), diabetic and other peripheral neuropathies, and herpes zoster (shingles).

Stellate ganglion block is an injection into a group of sympathetic nerves in the neck area called the stellate ganglion. This injection provides pain relief affecting one side of the head, neck, upper arm and the upper part of the chest wall.  This block is not only performed for pain control but also to improve blood flow following nerve injuries such as CRPS (RSD) and shingles.

Brachial plexus block is an injection into a network of nerves called the brachial plexus.  These nerves lend sensation and muscle supply from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and down into the wrist and hand. Patients who have suffered brachial plexus injuries may experience pain relief and increased mobility in the arm following this type of injection. There are four conventional access points used for performing these injections, depending on the the patient's symptoms:

• Axillary - often the more commonly performed injection, the axillary block affects more the forearm and hand
• Interscalene - the most proximal approach to the brachial plexus affects more the upper arm and shoulder
• Supraclavicular - less often used
• Infraclavicular - less often used

 

Celiac plexus block is an injection into a group of nerves that serve the abdominal organs such as the pancreas, liver, stomach, small intestine and colon. This injection may be used to treat chronic abdominal pain such as from cancer or chronic pancreatitis.

Hypogastric plexus block is an injection into a group of nerves located near the lower part of your abdomen and pelvis.  The hypogastric plexus can carry pain signals from much of the pelvic organs as with cancer or chronic pain in the testes, prostrate, and uterus.  The two approaches most commonly used for this injection are:

Superior hypogastric block is an injection into the collection of hypogastric nerves that pass to and from all pelvic viscerae (soft organs such as the bladder, uterus, vagina, prostrate, and rectum).

 

Inferior hypogastric block is an injection into the plexus of nerves situated on either side of the rectum that supply the lower part of the bladder; prostrate and seminal vesicles in men or cervix, uterus, and vagina in women.

 

Trigeminal nerve block is an injection used to block pain emanating from the fifth cranial nerve also known as the trigeminal nerve.  This nerve affects one whole side of the face including the forehead, eyes, and jaw; and is responsible for conveying touch, pressure, temperature and pain. A trigeminal nerve block may be used to treat an extremely painful condition known as trigeminal neuralgia (caused by trauma, autoimmune disorders, tumors, or herpes zoster).

 

Ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve blocks are directed into the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves that arise from the lumbar plexus.  The iliohypogastric nerve supplies the skin of the buttock and muscles of the abdominal wall and the ilioinguinal supplies the skin at the base of the perineum and adjoining portion of the inner thigh.

Sciatic nerve block is an injection into the sciatic nerve which supplies feeling to the posterior thigh, leg, foot, and toes. The sciatic is a sensory and motor nerve that originates in the sacral plexus and runs through the pelvis and upper leg. This injection might be used for diagnosis and treatment of piriformis syndrome (sciatic nerve entrapment). While one might assume sciatica is treated by injection of the sciatic nerve, it is generally not. This is more readily treated by an epidural approach.

Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block is an injection into the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve that supplies the upper leg and outer thigh. This technique may be beneficial to patients who suffer with myalgia paresthetica (link).

 

Ganglion impar block is an injection into the collection of nerves in front of the sacrococcygeal joint.  Overactivity of these nerve fibers can cause chronic coccyx (tail bone)pain.  The injection may also be used to treat pelvic pain such as chronic cystitis, vaginal/labial pain.

Peroneal nerve block is an injection into the nerve that supplies the lower leg, ankle, and foot with sensation and some muscle supply. This injection into the peroneal nerve may be performed to allay continuous hypertonicity of the muscle, especially when this causes compression of the underlying sciatic nerve.

 

Piriformis muscle injection is directed to the muscle located in sacrum and pelvic area of the buttock. An injection of this type may be performed to allay continuous hypertonicity of the muscle, especially when this causes compression of the underlying sciatic nerve.

Median nerve block is an injection into the nerve that supplies sensation to the upper arm, forearm, hand and fingers and motor power to some muscles intrinsic to the hand.  It is the only nerve that passes through the carpel tunnel in the wrist area where it may be compressed causing carpal tunnel syndrome. An injection into this nerve may be used to treat this as well as other similar syndromes.

Ulnar nerve block is an injection into the nerve that supplies sensation to the outer forearm down into the fourth and fifth fingers.  Injection of the ulnar nerve may be used to treat compression syndromes such as cubital tunnel syndrome at the elbow or ulnar tunnel syndrome at the hand.

Suprascapular nerve block is an injection into the suprascapular nerve that supplies the shoulder with sensation. This may be used to treat suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome.