A Lumbar Sympathetic Nerve Block targets the group of sympathetic nerves that sends pain signals from the feet and legs. People who suffer from chronic pain in these areas of the body due to Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome, Shingles or Vascular Insufficiency may find relief!
What to Expect:
Like most nerve blocks, the Lumbar Sympathic will be an injection in specific nerves to reduce pain signals from traveling to the brain. This will enable a patient to get back to everyday enjoyable activities that may have been next to impossible when dealing with the chronic pain.
The sympathetic nerves are a group along the front side of the spine. The injection to this site would include an anesthetic (such as lidocaine) to reduce pain temporarily. Then, in many cases, a steroid would follow. The steroid reduces inflammation and provides longer-lasting pain relief. This is a very quick process done right in our office. We use equipment to see in real time the location of the needle, to provide precise delivery of the medicine.
What is Recovery Like?
After the procedure, we will monitor you for any leg weakness or numbness. This is an expected side effect and typically goes away quickly. You may wish to ice the injection site to reduce the soreness or take Tylenol. While you should rest and recover the remainder of the day of the procedure, patients can get back to normal activities by the next day.
If you are experiencing chronic pain due to any of the issues listed above, as well as phantom limb pain, or diabetic neuropathy in the legs, please contact us. Together, we can determine what the best approach for pain relief is for you.
Treatment Options
Call us so we can set up an appointment to discuss your options for chronic pain treatment. Dr Henriquez strives to provide an approach for personal and compassionate care.
Learn more about Chronic Pain Treatments
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