Selective nerve block is same as epidural injection, as the
making and approach is similar. Epidural is considered to be the space which
exists outside of dura or surrounding of the spinal cord and in the spinal
canal, following the length of spinal cord.
Epidural injection is considered both diagnostic and therapeutic procedure.
A less amount of numbing agents like lidocaine and steroid are inserted in the
nerve root which seems to be damaged. You experience changes in the levels of
pain on and off after you undergo this treatment. With the help of changes in your pain’s level
and your physical examination doctor notice the effectiveness of selective
nerve blocking. The dose which is used
in this treatment is small and only on one nerve root this treatment is
performed, which makes it easier for a doctor to diagnose which nerve is producing
pain. It also helps to give a patient relief from pain and inflammation.
The Procedure of a Selective Nerve Blocks
You are advised to have this treatment by your physician to
verify certain damage to nerve. It also finishes the pain which emerge in back,
neck, and in your limb. Mostly the
pinched nerve and spinal stenosis cause damage to nerves, and it is diagnosed
by this treatment. It also remove the
pain which occurred by an injury. During the treatment your physician or a
doctor will carefully observe damaged and injured nerves in your lumber spine,
cervical spine and thoracic spine. He/She will insert numbing agents like
corticosteroid and anesthetic or it can be a mixture of these numbing
medications for your damaged nerves. The doctor will get an x ray of your body
to point out the damages to nerves and it is called fluoroscope. It depicts the
current picture of nerves on a screen.
There is another procedure instead of fluoroscope before you undergo Selective Nerve Blocks, it is scanning so your doctor has two options to check
which nerve is damaged and needs treatment.
What Are Its Benefits
The whole procedure gives detailed information of damaged
nerves while your doctor identifies the causes of your pain. Both epidural steroid injection and selective
nerve block have some functionality to get you recovered from the pain. Tendency
of acquiring this treatment has increased in aged patients.
