Nerve blocks are performed in office at our Mesa clinic, 1840 South Stapley Drive, Suite 234, with fluoroscopy on site. It is the procedure clinic for the East Valley, so patients from Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler and Apache Junction are booked here.
The assessment and later visits can be at Mesa or at Chandler, whichever is closer. Only the block itself needs the imaging equipment in the Mesa procedure room.
Most blocks are asked a question: is this particular nerve, or this particular joint, the source of the pain? A small amount of local anaesthetic goes exactly where the suspected source is, and the next few hours give the answer.
If the pain eases clearly while the block is working, the source is found and treatment can be aimed at it, often with radiofrequency ablation. If it does not, that structure is crossed off the list, which is also useful.
Medial branch blocks test the small joints at the back of the spine, a common source of low back and neck pain that is worse when leaning back or turning. Sympathetic blocks, such as a stellate ganglion or lumbar sympathetic block, are used for complex regional pain syndrome.
Occipital nerve blocks are used for headaches that start at the base of the skull, and sacroiliac joint injections for pain low in the buttock on one side. The examination decides which is appropriate.
The most important work happens after you leave. Do the things that usually hurt: bend, turn, sit in the car, walk the dog. Write down the time and how much pain there was, on a simple zero to ten scale, every hour or so.
Come in with some pain on the day, too. A block cannot show improvement if you arrive pain-free, so do not take extra pain medication that morning unless you have been told to.
Most major commercial plans are accepted, we are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in Arizona, and AHCCCS covers Pain Management. We check benefits and arrange prior authorization before the date.
Pain after a car accident can be billed to auto insurance or med-pay, to your health plan, or on a lien that is paid when the case settles. Injuries at work go through the workers’ compensation carrier.
See nerve blocks for the procedure in detail, the Mesa clinic page, or nerve blocks across the Phoenix metro.
Every clinic below has Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and Pain Management on one chart, so care can move between them without a new referral.
Downtown out through the north, west, south and east suburbs.
Academy, Interquest and Tenderfoot cover the north, central and south of the city.
Harmony in Fort Collins and our Greeley clinic serve Larimer and Weld counties.
Across the Valley, from the West Valley through Phoenix to the East Valley.
In office at our Mesa clinic on South Stapley Drive, which has fluoroscopy on site.
The procedure itself is short. Allow a little over an hour at the clinic, including check-in and a brief rest afterwards.
The block is judged by how much the pain changes. If there is none to begin with, the result cannot be read.
It confirms the source. The next step is often radiofrequency ablation, which can give longer relief from the same nerve.
That structure is ruled out, and the plan moves to the next most likely source.
Usually yes if no sedation was given, but numbness in a leg can make driving unsafe for a few hours. Bring a driver to be safe.
Diagnostic blocks usually do not. Therapeutic blocks sometimes add a steroid, which is decided in advance.
No. You can book an assessment directly.
Nerve blocks are performed in office at our Mesa clinic. No referral is needed to be evaluated, and appointments are usually available within the same week.
