Nerve Blocks- Sciatica.

[Bunce]

are nerve blocks been effective for sciatic pain in legs? Love to hear about your experiences?

[JuliaBalbilla]

For me they have not been effective unfortunately. In April last year I had one and not only was it extremely painful (in spite of being given a local anasthetic), it did not work. Apparently those particular blocks only have a 1 in 3 chance of working. At the end of last year I moved to a different part of the country and this time I was given a different type of nerve block which is supposed to have a 1 in 2 chance of working. It wasn't painful at all, but again, it didn't work. One of the nerve bocks was spinal and the other lumbar, however I cannot remember which one of the two was the more effective.

Don't let me out you off as I have encountered people for whom these type of nerve blocks have worked well. It just didn't do the trick for me. Good luck!

[Versailles in reply to JuliaBalbilla]

I have long standing episodes of acute pain radiating from my spine. I have SLE, Osteoporosis, arthritis in my neck/back so am pretty used to generalised pain. I had 2 nerve blocks. The first one was agony and took an hour but worth every second. The second took 10 minutes and did not work. I think it partly depends on who is doing it. My first one was done by a really experienced consultant who specialised in anaesthitics and bought me years of relief. The second one was done by someone far less experienced and was useless. I still have the problem and was taking opiods to try to deal with the searing pain. Recently the opioid stopped working which really sent me into a panic as that pain is unbearable. This breakthrough neuropathic-type is like someone sticking a stiletto knife into my back every 6 seconds. Now I am waiting for 'an emergency' appointment at the Pain Clinic yet again. Meanwhile I suggested amitrypline to my GP ( that had been suggested at a previous Pain Clinic appointment). Then got out my TENS machine and stuck it right on top of the locus of the pain contrary to all advice about where to put the pads. Unbelievably that works for me! Now when I feel the pain building up I put the pads directly on the tender area and turn up my TENS. Any improvement might be TENS or Amitrypline I don't care which. I am just praying it continues to spare me these horrible episodes and the unpleasant drug I used to use. Now I have 3 TENS. One in the car and a second as back up in case the first one gives up.

If you haven't got one buy a medically approved one (Amazon sell them) or go to a specialist shop. It will cost about £24.50 (no vat if you qualify). Don't buy anything complicated that has extra features like massage programmes. If you are writhing in agony you don't want to have read instructions! Go for a basic, powerful 2 channel one and experiment with the settings. My original one lay abandoned in a drawer for years until a physio told me a few weeks ago to put the pads directly on the place where the pain was coming from. Prior to that I had tried placing them on either side of the pain which seemed to aggravate everything.

[suesboose]

Ive had siatica for 4 months now getting worse and worse ended up in a&e 2 wks agoi with cauda equina syndrome /brachialgia.was transferd to QE Hospital which specialises in neuroscience and underwent a right nerve s1 nerve root injection under ct guidance with minimal improvement to start with.already had hadvan MRI whuch showed 3 bulging disca one pressing on the nerve.

Anyway didnt work straight away and ended in staying for a week. Feeling a lot better now just achingbut no pain. but also under pain management team and have come home on morphine, steroids, gabapentin, paracetamsl, ibrupofen amongst others. Got follow up appointments to come so hoping I continue to improve. Still using walking sticks but feel loads better .Hoping it has worked as can't go back to that pain level again.hope this helps xx

[remy]

Yes! I have 3 slipped discs and have been in agony for 5 years. Was taking tramadol 6 a day, gabapentine 6 a day, paracetamol 6 a day, diclofenac twice daily and wear a morphine patch permanently. I had heard good and bad reports about the injection s. It works for some but not others also people complaining of weight gain. I still work full time but was spending all my free time laid up so I decided to try them, what can I say other than fantastic ! The procedure itself was very very painful and I would not have it done without being out to sleep, but the surgeon did say that the ones that found it the most painful where the ones that it worked the best for because they had obviously hit the correct spot. I was in a lot of pain for about a week but now 4 weeks later I am off all my tablets and am slowly cutting down the morphine patch, I have not gained weight and I feel great. I am still working full time and also enjoying walking the dog and getting out and about I can also sleep at night now because the pain is not waking me. I would definatly recommend trying if it doesn't work you have not lost anything but you could have a new lease of life. I I have just turned 50 and was really like a cripple. Hope this helps fellow sufferer's.

[remy]

Can i just add I had 8 injections down both sides of my spine .

[suesboose]

yes I also found it very painful not sure how many injections he did and for a few days after couldn't move much from the hospital bed but a week on and just the relief from the pain is fab although the ache is still there and behind my toes still numb and my right hand very weak. I'm only 44 with 2 kids 1 disabled so dont know how I was managing. Hoping it will improve more and will last x

glad it seems to have worked for you too x

[Bunce in reply to suesboose]

Who does nerve root injections?

[Mistee]

I had bilateral deep nerve root blocks in S1 & L5 just over a year ago. I have 2 buldging discs, degenerative disc disease and osteophyites. It was a pretty agonising experience and I was in a lot of pain for about 5 days afterwards but then the effects started to take hold! I got about 6m of pain relief which was amazing!! I'm 37 and have a 6yr old daughter who I was able to play with in the soft play and in playgrounds!!!

The only downside was that I was hit with agonising shooting pains when the nerves started waking up again. They were few and far between initially and I'm sure they were no more painful than they has been pre-injections, but you don't really realise how much pain you were capable of handling until it comes back again!!

I get my second set of injections on Tuesday and am going on holiday to Egypt in a few weeks and am hoping to be able to go diving again for the first time in 7yrs!!

My advice would be to go for it, the worst your going to get is a week of extra pain from the procedure then back to normal....

Good luck! X

[Bunce in reply to Mistee]

Do y think nerve root injections r better than an epidural steroid?

[johnsmith]

Others in the forum have answered the question are nerve blocks effective? However, nerve blocks are not the answer when a muscle spasm is causing a vertebrate to apply pressure on a nerve root. You need to take the pressure of the nerve root. This is what osteopaths and chiropractors do.

I have had sciatica on occasion. I deal with it by modifying the muscle coordination that caused the sciatica in the first place.

Pressure on nerves is a not a good thing and can cause things other than pain as well.

Hope this helps.

[suesboose]

I had mine done at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham under the neurology team x

[suesboose]

Misty how long did urs last for a year then...heard it can be different lengths of time and did u just go back to consultant when the pain started again x

[gaj6512]

I've had two nerve blocks. The first one I walked out of the hospital and felt like I could have run a marathon, I had no leg pain at all. Unfortunately it only lasted a short while and the leg pain quickly came back. The second one lasted for nearly six months with minimal leg pain.