Medial Branch Nerve Blocks

Good Morning! This is The Field Guide to Back and Neck Pain, the newsletter to stay up to date on treatments and symptoms of back pain, neck pain and other chronic pain conditions. Welcome to all new readers! To those that have been here before, thank you, it’s so good to see you again.

Here is what you can expect from today’s edition:

• Medial Branch Nerve Blocks explained

• News: New research may have revealed a way to alter your pain tolerance

Medial Branch Nerve Blocks Explained

A medial branch nerve block is an injection used to diagnose and treat pain arising from the facet joints in the spine. Facet joints are small joints located between the vertebrae in the spine and are a common source of chronic neck or back pain, particularly if they are arthritic, inflamed or irritated.

The medial branch nerves are small nerves that transmit pain signals from the facet joints to the brain. During a medial branch nerve block, a local anesthetic (numbing medication) is injected near these nerves to temporarily interrupt the pain signals they transmit. This can help in diagnosing whether the facet joints are the source of the pain.

Here is what to expect during the injection:

Preparation: The patient is positioned on an X-Ray table, usually lying on their stomach, and the skin over the area to be treated is cleaned.

Injection: A needle is inserted under X-ray guidance to accurately target the medial branch nerves of a painful region in the neck or back. A local anesthetic, (e.g., lidocaine or bupivacaine) is injected to numb the area and provide immediate pain relief. The injection usually takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.

Pain Relief Assessment: If the injection provides significant pain relief, it suggests that the facet joints and the medial branch nerves are indeed the source of the pain. It is important to note that the relief may only last a few hours or days before it wears off. However, any amount of relief is a great indicator that more definitive treatment of these joints and nerves will provide long term relief of the pain.

Medial branch nerve blocks are often used as a diagnostic tool to confirm whether the facet joints are causing the pain before considering further, longer lasting treatments like radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Click the link to learn more about RFA!

Ask your doctor if medial branch nerve block injections could help to diagnose and treat your chronic back or neck pain!

Laugh through the pain…

In the news…

A new study may have revealed a way to change your pain tolerance as a way to treat chronic pain. Check it out below.

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About the Author

Les is an invaluable member of the team! He is the Lead Writer for the Field Guide to Back and Neck Pain newsletter. However, Les Payne is just a Pen Name to protect the identity of our expert Lead Writer who is an actively practicing, board-certified expert in the treatment and prevention of back and neck pain as well as other acute and chronic pain conditions. He has years of experience in this field and has treated over 15,000 patients with pain of all kinds!

Disclaimer: This publication is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication or website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. No provider-patient relationship is created by this publication or web site or its use. Neither the administrator nor its employees, nor any contributor to this publication or web site, makes any representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to its use.