Hi, Sarrah,
If you search the topics on this forum for nerve blocks, epidural or steroid injections you should have a pretty good idea of what they're like. I think the main diffeernce is the precise
location where any steroids or other medicines are injected, and the general purpose. I've had epidurals, SI joint injections and nerve blocks and they're about
the same as far as the process. It's important to make sure the person doing the procedure is experienced, and that they use fluorscopic guidance while they're injecting (this just means there's a tiny camera on the end of the needle which provides pictures on a screen (like a tv) so the surgeon or radiologist knows precisely where the needle is. All my injections have been done with this. Also, I've always had doctors inject an anesthetic before they do the deeper injection, so that mostly all I've felt is slight discomfort. Others here report the injections have been more painful.
If they're going to numb a nerve, then you may lose some motor function temporarily and thus you're usually asked to have another person with you to drive you home. Also, nerve root blocks are used not only for pain relief, but diagnostic purposes. My neurosurgeon had nerve blocks done before my surgery to try and locate exactly what was causing the symptoms. Unfortunately, my surgery didn't help.
Call your doctor and make sure about
the flouroscope, and ask if he/she injects some numbing agent first. If that's the case, you really shouldn't feel a lot, but that's just my experience.
Hope this helps some.
PaLady
Funny, getting a tatoo would scare the heck out of me!
Post Edited (PAlady) : 9/27/2008 5:38:03 PM (GMT-6)