CERVICAL SELECTIVE NERVE ROOT BLOCK
What is Cervical Selective Nerve Root Block?
This injection relieves pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms caused by a pinched nerve (or nerves) in the cervical spine. It can be used to treat conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and radiculopathy.
Preparation for the procedure
The procedure is performed with the patient lying face down, or face up, to expose the neck. The patient may be sedated but awake during the procedure. A region of this skin and tissue of the neck is numbed with a local anesthetic delivered through a small needle.
What is the procedure like?
Your Pain MD Houston physician uses an x-ray device called a fluoroscope to guide a needle to the painful area of the neck. The needle is inserted into the neural foramen space, which is the region through which spinal nerves travel.
Contrast dye is injected into the space to make sure the needle is properly positioned near the irritated nerve or nerves.
An anesthetic solution is injected into the foramen space, bathing the irritated nerve. The needle is removed and a small bandage is apply. Some patients may only need one injection, but two or three injections may be needed to provide significant pain relief.
