Nerve Blocks & Pain Injections
Nerve blocks and pain injections deliver local anesthetic, and often a steroid, precisely to an irritated nerve, joint or muscle under imaging guidance. They are used both to find the source of chronic pain and to relieve it — including epidural and nerve-root injections for back and leg pain, facet-joint and trigger-point injections, and sympathetic blocks for certain nerve pain.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
A nerve block or pain injection places medication — usually a local anesthetic, often combined with a steroid to reduce inflammation — exactly where pain arises. Using X-ray or ultrasound guidance, the pain specialist targets a specific structure: the epidural space or a nerve root for back and leg pain (sciatica), a facet joint, a tender trigger point in a muscle, or a sympathetic nerve group for certain nerve-related pain such as complex regional pain syndrome.
These injections serve two purposes. As a diagnostic tool, temporary relief after a block helps confirm which structure is causing the pain and guides further treatment, including radiofrequency ablation. As a treatment, they can calm a painful flare and support rehabilitation and return to activity. The effect varies from person to person and can last from weeks to months; injections may be repeated within safe limits and are usually one part of a wider pain-management plan.
For international patients, a coordinator arranges the assessment, a clear plan and a transparent, itemized cost estimate before travel. Our pain specialists can review your imaging and reports remotely to advise which injection, if any, is likely to help, so your visit and any follow-up are planned in advance.
Who is a candidate?
- People with back and leg pain (sciatica) from a disc or nerve-root irritation
- Patients with facet-joint neck or back pain, or painful muscle trigger points
- People with nerve-related pain such as complex regional pain syndrome, considered for a sympathetic block
- Those needing to confirm the source of pain before a longer-lasting treatment
- Patients wanting to calm a pain flare to take part in physiotherapy and rehabilitation
- People whose pain has not settled with medication and conservative care alone
What happens
- 1
Assessment
A pain specialist reviews your history, examination and imaging to identify the likely pain source and decide which injection is most appropriate.
- 2
Preparation
You are positioned for the target area and the skin is cleaned and numbed. You are told what to expect and, if needed, light sedation is arranged.
- 3
The injection
Using X-ray or ultrasound guidance, the specialist places a fine needle at the target and injects the medication. The procedure is short, and imaging confirms accurate placement.
- 4
Recovery and review
You are observed briefly and usually go home the same day. Relief may be immediate from the anesthetic and build further over days as any steroid takes effect. Your team reviews the response and plans next steps.
Benefits
- Targets pain precisely at its source under imaging guidance
- Helps confirm the cause of pain to guide further treatment
- Can relieve pain flares and support physiotherapy and recovery
- Minimally invasive day-case procedure with no incision
- Can be repeated within safe limits as part of a wider plan
Risks & considerations
- Temporary soreness, bruising or a short-lived increase in pain at the injection site
- Relief may be partial or temporary, and not everyone responds
- Steroid side effects such as a brief rise in blood sugar or facial flushing
- Uncommon risks include infection, bleeding, or temporary nerve irritation
- There are limits on how often steroid injections can be safely repeated
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This procedure is delivered by our Pain Management.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Nerve Blocks & Pain Injections — frequently asked questions
A diagnostic block uses local anesthetic to see whether numbing a specific nerve or joint relieves your pain, which confirms the source. A therapeutic injection, often with a steroid, aims to reduce inflammation and give longer relief. The same injection can sometimes do both.
Injections manage pain rather than cure its underlying cause. They can give useful relief, help confirm the source, and support rehabilitation, but they are usually part of a broader plan that may include physiotherapy, medication or, for some, radiofrequency ablation.
It varies from person to person — from a few weeks to several months. Injections can be repeated within safe limits, particularly steroid injections, and your specialist will advise on timing based on your response and the type of injection.
Yes. Our pain specialists can review your imaging and reports remotely and advise which injection, if any, is likely to help, so your visit is planned before you arrive and follow-up can continue at home.
Most pain injections are day-case procedures with no overnight stay, though your coordinator confirms the plan if several are needed. We provide a transparent, itemized estimate after reviewing your case and do not quote fixed prices online because each plan is individual.
Related treatments
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