Other Treatments

CERVICAL FACET BLOCKS

Cervical facet blocks are useful in the diagnosis and painful conditions involving trauma, arthritis, or any inflammation in the neck. Pathology or trauma of the neck can present as decreased range of motion, pain, spasm and palpable tenderness. Neck pain can be referred to the shoulder, scapula, upper arm, and even precipitate migraine headaches.

MUSCULOSKELETAL BLOCKS

Musculoskeletal blocks of the upper extremity are useful for certain types of nerve entrapment syndromes or inflammation of tendons in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers.

INTERCOSTAL NERVE BLOCKS

Intercostal nerve blocks are used near the rib cage primarily for the treatment of shingles. As many as 50% of patients who experience the shingles rash will develop a very painful condition called post herpetic neuralgia which is sharp, lancing, burning pain radiating around the rib cage. This technique can be very useful in reducing pain.

SI JOINT AND PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME INJECTIONS

Very often, low back pain may be associated with inflammation of the sacroiliac joint which is the joint between the sacrum (bottom part of the spine) and the pelvic bone. There is a left and right joint. This pain can be due to trauma or arthritis of the back. Very often, individuals with other pain conditions of the low back will have imbalances of the musculoskeletal system which will put an unnecessary stress on the SI joint.

PIRIFORMIS SYDROME

The piriformis muscle is a deep muscle under the buttocks which moves the hip joint. What makes the triangular shaped muscle so important is that the sciatic nerve usually passes underneath it and in some individuals, part of it or all of it actually passes through it. When a sciatic nerve is inflamed, it can also cause a severe spasm of the piriformis muscle, and the piriformis muscle when in spasm can affect the sciatic nerve, setting up a self perpetuating pain process. Therefore, injection techniques to this muscle can be very helpful.