Cervical Nerve Block Injections

littlefriend

Just wondering does anyone have any experience with the above. I had C5/6 removed 2 years ago and still have chronic & acute pain. Its been recommended that I try a series of nerve block injections. I'm a bit nervous about this as I dont want to hurt myself further when I cant feel any pain [if that makes sense].
Any comments would be appreciated

Lil' Smiler

You had it removed??? Can I ask why?

sorry to be nosey, I actualy have a Neurology exam tomorrow and it fascinates me that you said that.

By C5/6 do you mean the nerve root? So where are you experiencing pain, shoulders & arm maybe fingers?

littlefriend

Hi, when I say I had it removed I mean the disc in between the vertebrae.

I hurt my neck in Jan O6 and after having an MRI discovered I had a very large bulge in disc C5/6, smaller one at C6/7, and a slight problem w/ C4/5. I saw 2 neurosurgeons who both advised me to have C5/6 removed.
My symptoms before the operation were the same as they are now but worse as I was in constant severe pain. Now it is a bit more manageable. Anyway, although my symptoms have improved a bit my life is still very effected by the whole thing.
Pain - all on LHS - from bottom of ear to bottom of shoulder blade. From shoulder all the way down arm to wrist bone. Arm feels weak - little finger & ring finger have started twitching [before the operation they I had pins & needles and numbness in them].
Bit worried about the nerve blocks - I think going near the spine at all is quite scary & I think it is just masking the problem rather than solving it.
Let me know if you have any other questions - I'm studying anatomy & physiology atm and I find it easier to remember things if I can relate them to an actual person.

N8

You should have been recommended a more conservative route first. I suggest you take this route first before subjecting yourself to more guesswork.

Chiropractor (qualified and registered with www.chiropractic.ie with full xray and sEMG facilities), Osteopath (qualified and registered with www.osteopathy.ie) or physio - in that order.

Good Luck

littlefriend

I've had a huge amt of conservative treatment - osteopath, physio, acupuncture, traction etc etc.
What do you think of the nerve block injections - dangerous or ok?

Lil' Smiler

Studying A & P? finding it difficult? I'm on my 2nd round of studying A & P, alot more intense than the A&P i did for my massage courses.

I'm studying Physical Therapy atm so that's why i was asking, I had a neurology exam there on saturday so all i could think about was nerves, nerve roots, what innervates what etc!! ahh!!

So you had the disc removed? So was anything put in place? I have an article about a gel being injected into the articular spaces btw the discs. I don't know if it's at all related but if i could find it i could mail it to you if you like.

I've never actually heard of nerve block injections. if it was recommended then i wouldn't imagine it to be too dangerous but i suppose weight it up by asking your specialist about the pro's & cons of it.

You say your ring & little finger twitch... any neck pain at all? C8 innvervates the neck & ring & little finger bilaterally, so perhaps there's a lesion on the nerve?

You poor thing, it sounds fairly traumatic & frustrating. Not that this is anyway near how you are feeling but i had a few compressed discs in october, 1 cervical, 1 thoracic & 1 lumbar & i was in alot of pain, still when i flex my neck i get shooting pains down my back & into my legs

I hope you find a solution!

N8

littlefriend wrote: »

What do you think of the nerve block injections - dangerous or ok?

As a student of A&P, what else does that nerve do (as well as presumbably carry pain signals)?

bushy...

N8 wrote: »

As a student of A&P, what else does that nerve do (as well as presumbably carry pain signals)?

Why did you give advice like this then ?

N8 wrote: »

You should have been recommended a more conservative route first. I suggest you take this route first before subjecting yourself to more guesswork.

Chiropractor (qualified and registered with ww.chiropractic.ie with full xray and sEMG facilities), Osteopath (qualified and registered with ww.osteopathy.ie) or physio - in that order.

Good Luck

Stepherunie

I've seen cranial nerve block injections being done.

From what I recall of what I was taught about it they have different levels of effectiveness for each patient and it is dependent entirely on the patient.

Some get one injection and never have any more pain. For others it can give relief for some months but isn't permanent.

littlefriend

As a student of A&P I it is not the function of these nerves that I am concerned about. What concerns me is that, should I hurt myself further, I will not feel it potentially causing more damage.
In addition to the above, nerve block injections involve some risk ( as any spine treatment does), it can be very painful getting the injections and they don't work in a significant number of cases. There are two people that I know of locally who had this treatment - one woman became severely bruised on one whole side of her body for many weeks [with no pain relief], the face, shoulder and arm on the right side of the other patient was paralysed for around two weeks.
Anyway, the reason I posted the thread was to see did anyone out there have any comments to make. After so much pain for the past couple of years, I need some help. That said if the injections dont work, it'll be hard to deal with another disappointment.

Lilsmiler - will get back to you soon.

N8

bushy... wrote: »

Why did you give advice like this then ?

Not sure what this was meant to get at…. Perhaps you are another chiropractor hater… wake up

Nerve blocks and surgery would be my very last resort littlefriend as you will probably appreciate from my posting – percentage wise they tend not to have very successful outcomes (and so the term failed spinal surgery) simply because in the majority of cases it is guesswork.

It is clear you have come across some of the results of these failures. And the harsh reality is that you can have surgery after exhausting conservative route but very little conservative works after surgery. I would have continued conservative care for a period of time but if it is the result of trauma sometimes something dramatic is required to address it.

Obviously you have been in pain for years and you want options - unfortunately you haven’t gotten them here, but that is the nature of this forum, it is for discussion, medical advice is not to be given.

Lil' Smiler

littlefriend wrote: »

As a student of A&P I it is not the function of these nerves that I am concerned about. What concerns me is that, should I hurt myself further, I will not feel it potentially causing more damage.
In addition to the above, nerve block injections involve some risk ( as any spine treatment does), it can be very painful getting the injections and they don't work in a significant number of cases. There are two people that I know of locally who had this treatment - one woman became severely bruised on one whole side of her body for many weeks [with no pain relief], the face, shoulder and arm on the right side of the other patient was paralysed for around two weeks.
Anyway, the reason I posted the thread was to see did anyone out there have any comments to make. After so much pain for the past couple of years, I need some help. That said if the injections dont work, it'll be hard to deal with another disappointment.

Lilsmiler - will get back to you soon.

No probs, take your time.

Actually did you get any rehab treatment afterwards? I'm just wondering what protocol is after getting the discs removed apart from rest!

littlefriend

Thanks for reply N8. I was just looking for anyones opinions/experience rather than medical advice. I did mean to say that at the beginning.
I had a lot of conservative treatment [usually 3 times per week] for 6 months preceding surgery.. after separate opinions from two neurologists advised that I needed surgery I went along with it. To be honest, I was so out of my mind with pain [and also with painkillers] that I probably would have agreed to anything at the time. Conservative treatment wasn't working for me and nerve blocks weren't mentioned as an option before using surgery as a last resort.

lilsmiler - yes I had a lot of physio for about 6 months after surgery - I didn't find it very effective so I then went to - I think this is the correct name - a neuromuscular therapist. She referred me to an osteopath and that brings me up to now. Was told today that these injections work in less than 40% of cases and even then it is temporary. ahhh

anyway, I have a big exam on Saturday so I'm trying not to think about it til after then. How did yours go by the way?

bushy...

N8 wrote: »

Not sure what this was meant to get at…. Perhaps you are another chiropractor hater… wake up

Really hate to hijack a thread but this is day to day agony someone has to put up with from the above it is fairly clear that you put promoting your favourite "cure" above everything, you go and give advice first then ask mmmm what does that bit do


Quote:
Originally Posted by N8 View Post
You should have been recommended a more conservative route first.


Quote:
Originally Posted by N8 View Post

As a student of A&P, what else does that nerve do (as well as presumbably carry pain signal)

N8

bushy... wrote: »

Really hate to hijack a thread

then don't. Read my follow up post and as for a favorite cure - you got it, I do favour it over drugs and surgery.

Littlefriend good luck with the exams and I hope you get a solution. Take care.

Lil' Smiler

littlefriend wrote: »

Thanks for reply N8. I was just looking for anyones opinions/experience rather than medical advice. I did mean to say that at the beginning.
I had a lot of conservative treatment [usually 3 times per week] for 6 months preceding surgery.. after separate opinions from two neurologists advised that I needed surgery I went along with it. To be honest, I was so out of my mind with pain [and also with painkillers] that I probably would have agreed to anything at the time. Conservative treatment wasn't working for me and nerve blocks weren't mentioned as an option before using surgery as a last resort.

lilsmiler - yes I had a lot of physio for about 6 months after surgery - I didn't find it very effective so I then went to - I think this is the correct name - a neuromuscular therapist. She referred me to an osteopath and that brings me up to now. Was told today that these injections work in less than 40% of cases and even then it is temporary. ahhh

anyway, I have a big exam on Saturday so I'm trying not to think about it til after then. How did yours go by the way?

Big exam on Saturday - fun!! I'm glad i'm not the only one that gives up weekends for college!! I'm off now til the end of march Exam was ok, funnily enough I got someone with neck pain & bilateral tingling in the ring and little fingers which ended up being the nerve root of C8!!It was ok but i'm terrible in exams, i get too nervous & mess them up for myself!!

You were referred to an NMT!?! did they just do trigger point therapy work on you or did you get an massage at all done? I'm currently treating 2 different women with the same problem, appears to be C8 and have done soft tissue work & myofascial release on them & they both seem to be progressing!

I'm just confused, surely there must be more options than the nerve block injections. I just find it so odd that they took out the 2 discs, did they do that all in one surgery? must have been so traumatic for you!

So you've been to 2 Neurologists and they've recommended the injections. maybe it's worth a shot then, to be honest, it doesn't seem like it will do a huge deal of harm. but that's what i was saying, to weigh up the pro's & con's with the specialist as to whether it could happen that you can end up hurting yourself but not realising.

Best of luck in your exam, I know how difficult it is!!

littlefriend

Hey, sorry I probably told the story assways. I had a problem with 3 discs - they removed the one in the middle which - on the MRI - looked like a someone had jumped on it. The others are still there but out of their normal position.
Funny, I dont think C8 was never mentioned to me.
Is the course you are doing in Stillorgan? I was considering that but I thought I might have difficulty doing the massage work.

As far as I remember - I've been to see so many people that its gets confusing sometimes - the NMT was mainly trigger point work but there was some massage work involved too. I think of all the treatments that was the most benificial although it only gave short term relief [I'd be fine for about a day afterwards].
Do you guys do student clinics? Its just that I'm not working at the moment so all these treatments at €60+ are a bit of a stretch atm.

Lil' Smiler

Sorry I think i actually read it wrong!!

Yep doing the course in stillorgan, very intense!! It's crazy the years flown by so far! Yeah we doing student clinics on monday & friday nights, not sure if wednesday nights are up & running. It's €30 per visit anyway. I'm not saying tht myofascial work or anything would work for you but it has for the 2 women i'm currently treating!

cathy01

Hi , the injection is given , after a small local annistetic, if I am right, another option is Botox, I could be wrong!!I think maybe lookinto this with your Doctor.The success rate of the injection is not great and its painful enough to have esp when your neck is so sore in the first place.