Nerve Block Injection

Sometimes, following an injury or before you begin physical therapy, your body needs a break from the onslaught of pain. Receiving a nerve block gives your body just that: temporary relief. And that may be all you need to get on track with your new exercise regimen or allow your body sufficient rest as it heals.

Our pain doctor provides nerve block injections in a variety of places where your suffering may originate.

Risks of Nerve Block Injection

Nerve blocks — including an intercostal nerve block designed to treat pain after surgery or where you had shingles on your chest, a suprascapular nerve block for shoulder pain, or ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve blocks for your upper thighs and groin areas — are only temporary fixes. Each lasts only a week or two.

After the medications are absorbed by your body, the pain returns. But the reprieve may be all you need to participate fully in physical therapy or rest. Risks are rare, especially when compared to the benefits. Risks include:

Infection
Bruising or bleeding at the site of the injection
Medication accidentally entering your blood stream
Medication spreading to nearby nerves
Hitting the wrong nerve, which the x-rays help prevent

Suprascapular Nerve Block

A suprascapular nerve block targets those nerves in your shoulder that often become painful due to:

Rotator cuff damage
Bursitis
Arthritis
Degenerative joint disease

Over time, after years of enjoying your sport, you may need a suprascapular nerve block if you played:

Basketball
Baseball
Swimming
Volleyball

Intercostal Nerve Block

Intercostal nerves are located under your ribs. Your sports medicine and pain management physician usually provides intercostal nerve blocks if you have:

Pain after a surgical incision that isn’t healing right
A particularly bad case of shingles

The intercostal nerve block procedure also is commonly used as a diagnostic tool when imaging tests don’t reveal the exact location of an injury or disease that’s causing your chest pains. It takes about 30 minutes in our pain management office. When delivered for pain relief, it’s often the only treatment you’ll need.

Ilioinguinal and Iliohypogastric Nerve Block

The ilioinguinal nerve crosses the iliohypogastric nerve as they leave the lower part of your spine and continue down your upper thighs through to your groin. Because they are so small and wound around your pelvis, both nerves are at risk for damage during abdominal surgery, an appendectomy, C-section or even laparoscopic surgery.

Contact sports such as football and wear-and-tear activities such as running can lead to groin traumas that cause chronic pain, but ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve blocks effectively treat this pain. It’s common to get a nerve block following hernia surgery too.

Benefits of Nerve Block Injection

Everyone has different experiences with nerve blocks, but most people find at least temporary relief, something they are very grateful for. Usually, it’s fear of the needle that’s more acute than the needle itself. And your Midtown Manhattan team of specialists ensures your comfort and safety throughout the entire procedure.

A little bit of soreness for the months of reprieve from constant pain is a welcomed exchange. You and your doctor can then decide on follow-up plans of action to relieve the source of your pain or agree to regularly scheduled visits to monitor your response and give you additional nerve blocks when needed.

Febin Melepura, MD is a top rated, best in class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award winning expert and contributor to a prominent media outlets.

Dr. Febin Melepura has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain and, among other accolades, has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York”, and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for an advanced sports injury treatments.