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Nerve root blocks
These injections target the spinal nerves as they come out of the spinal cord through small bony openings called the foramina. Each spinal nerve supplies a specific area of the body, called the dermatome. Inflammation of spinal nerves in the neck can cause pain radiating to the arms. In the lower back, spinal nerves inflammation can cause pain radiating to the legs, commonly referred to as sciatica.
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic. The doctor will initially numb the skin and deeper tissues with a numbing medicine. A special x-ray machine called a fluoroscope is then used to guide the needle close to the relevant nerve root. A contrast medium is injected to confirm the needle position. A small amount of local anaesthetic and steroid is then injected around the nerve root.
The local anaesthetic temporarily blocks the pain signals and helps in identifying the correct level of the nerve root contributing to pain. The steroid helps in settling the inflammation around the nerve root. Pain relief from nerve root blocks can last several months though this may not always be the case.

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