Selective Diagnostic Nerve Root Blocks
PROCEDURES
Selective Diagnostic Nerve Root Blocks
A selective diagnostic nerve root block is an injection of local anesthetic with or without steroid under x-ray guidance to help determine the source of a painful spinal condition. It is performed at the area of the spine where the nerve root is exiting the spinal column. Spinal nerve roots follow a dermatome pattern which is like a road map of a sensory distribution of a nerve supply to a specific region of the human body.
If patient get a period of sustained pain relief from the injection (depending on the local anesthetic used), the block may be repeated to confirm the underlying pathology. It is often performed to help identify whether surgery might be helpful and at what level surgery might be most helpful.
This type of block is generally a collaborative effort between a spinal surgeon and a pain management specialist to help identify the root cause of ongoing symptoms before surgical intervention.