Lumbar Sympathetic Nerve Block

Pain affecting the lower back and legs sometimes originates in the lumbar sympathetic nerves. If you have persistent and/or severe lower back pain that isn’t responding to other therapies, visit Minimally Invasive Medical Group’s office in Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, or Irvine, California. The highly skilled pain experts can perform a lumbar sympathetic nerve block injection to isolate your pain’s cause and offer relief. Call the nearest Minimally Invasive Medical Group office to learn more, or schedule a consultation online today.

What is a lumbar sympathetic nerve block?

Lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks are injections containing numbing medication that go into your lower back. They offer temporary relief from pain in the pelvis and legs. Nerve blocks sometimes contain anti-inflammatory drugs as well to support nerve healing.

A lumbar sympathetic nerve block can also help to diagnose pain’s source. The Minimally Invasive Medical Group team might perform a lumbar nerve block if other tests can’t pinpoint where your pain comes from. If the injection relieves your pain, the targeted nerves are likely the source. If it doesn’t help, the pain’s source is probably elsewhere.

What do the lumbar sympathetic nerves do?

Nerves transmit electrical messages between your brain and body that help you feel and move. The sympathetic nerves form part of the autonomic nervous system, maintaining functions like blood pressure and digestion that you don’t consciously control. Sympathetic nerves can also send pain signals if you suffer an injury.

Lumbar sympathetic nerves sit at the front of the bottom of your spine, so if they’re injured, you might feel pain in the lower half of your body.

What can a lumbar sympathetic nerve block treat?

Lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks are effective for various conditions, including:

• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
• Postherpetic neuralgia (pain caused by shingles)
• Phantom limb pain
• Critical limb ischemia and other causes of vascular pain
• Cancer pain
• Raynaud’s disease
• Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)

Depending on your body’s response, you might only need two injections. However, some patients require a series of 10 or more.

What happens during a lumbar sympathetic block?

Lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks for pain management are typically outpatient procedures, so you can go home shortly afterward.

You lie on your stomach, and your provider cleans your skin. You may have an intravenous sedative to help you relax, and your provider injects a local anesthetic to numb the tissues. Using fluoroscopy (moving X-ray imaging), your provider inserts the nerve block needle into your back and injects the medication.

Lumbar sympathetic nerve block injections usually take up to 30 minutes. You should avoid anything too energetic initially, but you can resume your usual activities the next day. Pain relief might last from a few days to many weeks.

Call Minimally Invasive Medical Group to learn how you could benefit from a lumbar sympathetic nerve block, or book an appointment online today.