Nerve Block
A nerve block delivers local anesthetic — and sometimes a small amount of steroid — near a specific nerve to interrupt pain signaling and identify the structure driving your symptoms.
Nerve blocks serve two purposes: they provide focused pain relief, and they help confirm whether a particular nerve is the true source of your pain before considering longer-acting treatments.
What this treatment is and why it is used.
Nerve blocks are a precision tool in interventional pain medicine. By placing local anesthetic — and sometimes a small dose of steroid — directly around a target nerve, the block temporarily interrupts the pain signal that nerve carries.
Because the relief pattern after a block tells us whether the right nerve was targeted, blocks are also diagnostic. They help confirm the pain generator before considering longer-acting interventions like radiofrequency ablation.
We use nerve blocks for a wide range of spine, joint, and peripheral nerve pain. The specific block — medial branch, occipital, intercostal, sympathetic, peripheral — is chosen based on your symptoms, exam, and imaging.
- Low Back Pain
- Neck Pain
- Sciatica and Pinched Nerve
- Upper and Middle Back Pain
- Back and Neck Pain
- Pain After Back Surgery
Our team starts with a clinical evaluation to confirm the pain generator before any procedure.
The procedure, step by step.
Every step is designed for accuracy and comfort. You will know what to expect before, during, and after.
Your physician maps the suspected pain generator using your history, exam, and imaging to choose the appropriate nerve block.
You are positioned for clean access to the target. The skin is sterilized and numbed with local anesthetic.
Fluoroscopy or ultrasound is used to advance the needle precisely to the target nerve.
Contrast dye may confirm placement before a small volume of anesthetic, sometimes with steroid, is delivered around the nerve.
You will be asked to track pain relief over the hours that follow. This response guides the next step in your plan.
Before, during, and after the appointment.
You will receive instructions on medications to pause and fasting if sedation is planned. Bring a driver if sedation will be used. Tell us about blood thinners or active infections.
After local numbing, the physician uses image guidance to position the needle. Most patients feel pressure rather than sharp pain. The block itself takes only a few minutes.
You may feel immediate numbness in the area supplied by the nerve. Track your pain level for the next 6–24 hours — this diagnostic information shapes the next step in your care.
What recovery typically looks like.
Most patients resume routine activity within hours. Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for the first 24 hours, especially while any anesthetic effect is present. We will review your post-block pain diary at the follow-up visit to decide whether longer-acting therapy, like radiofrequency ablation, is appropriate.
Candidacy is determined after a clinical evaluation.
Nerve blocks are generally well tolerated, but they are not appropriate for every patient or every pain pattern. Candidacy is determined after a clinical evaluation that includes your diagnosis, imaging, prior treatments, current medications, and overall health. We will explain the diagnostic and therapeutic role of the block before scheduling.
Medicare and major insurance accepted.
Diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks are commonly covered by Medicare and major commercial insurance plans when medically indicated. Our team verifies your benefits, secures any required prior authorization, and reviews expected out-of-pocket costs before the procedure.
See accepted insurance plansCommon pain patterns we pair with nerve block.
Procedures that often work alongside this one.
Questions patients ask about this procedure.
Why do you ask me to track my pain after the block?
The pattern and degree of relief after the anesthetic helps confirm whether the right nerve was targeted. That information directly shapes whether a longer-acting treatment, like radiofrequency ablation, is the right next step.
Will the relief last?
The anesthetic effect lasts hours. If steroid is included, additional relief may build over days. Durable relief often comes from pairing the block with rehabilitation or follow-on procedures.
Is the procedure painful?
After the skin is numbed, most patients describe pressure rather than pain. Image guidance keeps the procedure precise and brief.
How soon can I drive?
If only local anesthetic is used and there is no sedation, most patients drive themselves home. We confirm this in advance.
Talk to a board-certified pain specialist.
We see new patients by referral across our Pasadena, Baytown, and Katy clinics. Our team will verify your insurance and walk you through the next step.
- Board-certified, fellowship-trained physician
- Medicare and major insurance accepted
- Three Greater Houston locations
- Bilingual staff and direct phone access
Request a nerve block consultation
A diagnostic and therapeutic injection that interrupts pain signaling and helps confirm the nerve driving your symptoms.