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Real members of MyChronicPainTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.
Has Anyone Hac A Nerve Block Done For Back Pain?
A MyChronicPainTeam Member asked a question 💭

My pain doc wants me to try a nerve block on my back. I'm willing to try anything at this point. If you've had it done, is it painful? Does it hurt? I have DDD, stenosis,and L-4 and L-5 are herniated. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

posted October 26, 2016
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A MyChronicPainTeam Member

My experience with nerve blocks and injections in general hasn’t been great. I’ve had many over the years and only one ever gave me immediate and a couple weeks of less than normal pain. I had an L2-L3 fusion in 2003. The one injection that helped was because it was in some scar tissue. At least I found out that scar tissue was causing some of my pain, numbness and sciatic issues. I know people that have gotten great relief from injections. It seems to me that either it helps or it doesn’t. There’s no in between. There’s a little pain involved. They start with an injection of lidocaine. Then they go in and place a syringe/line using X-rays. Then the medicine is injected. Almost every injection I ever had felt like they were exactly where my pain was coming from. The injection puts a little pressure on the aggravated nerves so there’s a little pain but not bad. I guess it depends on your pain tolerance and anxiety. I recommend ablation but the have to do nerve blocks etc. to see if it’ll help. This is the best way I can explain it. If injections haven’t helped much, ablation still can even though they use injections to test if ablation will help. I know it sounds oxymoronic!! But! When they give you the lidocaine shot before injections? If that decreases your pain or causes it to leave until the lidocaine wears off. Then ablation will probably help. There was a little confusion when the doctor saw me after the injections. I’d go back and tell them that the injections didn’t help much. To avoid confusion tell the doctor what the lidocaine shot did first. Then tell him how things were after the numbing wore off. So, basically if the lidocaine shot gets rid of some or all of the pain until it wears off then ablation will probably help. If the lidocaine helps immediately and then the steroid injection helps for weeks or months, then you’re good to go with injections or ablation. Hope this helps more than confuses.lol

posted October 16, 2019
A MyChronicPainTeam Member

I had it both ways it hurt like hell, and it didn't work

posted October 26, 2016
A MyChronicPainTeam Member

At one point, I was allowed two a year. I would plan vacations or projects to get done when still under the effects. It would last about two weeks. But be careful, my last time, it ran out on the highway on the way home. Every bump was incredibly painful. That doctor was a master with a needle.

posted February 10
A MyChronicPainTeam Member

I have had nerve ablasions...last one I had I contracted a bad staph infection which took me 9 months to recover from and it almost got into my spine which could have cost me my ability to walk let alone my life...so I will just stick to my pain meds

posted January 19
A MyChronicPainTeam Member

Nerve blocks are the only thing that gives me any quality of life. I generally have an increase in pain for a day or two followed by some relief. Sometimes they seem to do better than others but had one done Friday for L5 L6 and left the clinic feeling better than I had in 6 weeks. I wish you great results and hopefully a huge decrease in pain.

posted November 6, 2016

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