Precise ultrasound-guided procedures to treat injuries and conditions with effectiveness and safety.
Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks are a specialized treatment aimed at relieving chronic pain, facilitating the rehabilitation process, and improving patients' quality of life. This technique is particularly useful in cases of chronic joint pain, complex regional pain syndrome (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), neuritis, and as a diagnostic tool.
This procedure involves the application of anesthetics or medications directly near specific nerves, temporarily blocking pain transmission. The use of ultrasound allows for precise identification of the target nerve, enhancing the effectiveness of the treatment and minimizing risks.
Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks are indicated for patients with chronic joint pain, neuritis, complex regional pain syndrome, and other chronic pain conditions.
Keywords: Osteoarthritis; Pain; Chronic pain; Degenerative injuries; Fractures; Neuritis; Reflex sympathetic dystrophy; Complex regional pain syndrome; Painful knee prosthesis; Painful shoulder prosthesis; Painful hip prosthesis.
Everything you need to know.
An ultrasound-guided nerve block involves injecting a local anesthetic near a specific nerve under real-time ultrasound guidance to reduce or interrupt the transmission of pain signals carried by that nerve.
Nerve blocks provide temporary pain relief in both acute and chronic pain conditions. They may also serve a diagnostic purpose, helping to confirm whether a particular nerve is the source of a patient's pain.
Ultrasound guidance is strongly recommended because it allows precise visualization of the target nerve and the surrounding blood vessels and soft tissues. This improves the accuracy, safety, and effectiveness of the procedure compared with techniques based solely on anatomical landmarks.
No. Nerve blocks using local anesthetics provide temporary pain relief. When combined with a corticosteroid, the duration of symptom relief may be extended. In selected cases, other treatments such as radiofrequency ablation or neuromodulation techniques may be recommended to provide longer-lasting pain control.
A wide range of peripheral nerves can be targeted with this technique, depending on the location and underlying cause of the patient's pain. The choice of nerve block is determined following a comprehensive clinical evaluation.
