A nerve block places local anaesthetic around a specific nerve, either to settle pain or to answer a question. Diagnostic blocks are how a physician confirms which structure is actually generating your pain before committing to longer-lasting treatment.
In Phoenix this procedure is performed in office at Mesa and Westgate. Fluoroscopy is on site there, so the injection is placed under live X-ray guidance rather than by feel. Where a clinic does not perform a procedure on site, your care is coordinated to one that does.
Blocks are used where the examination points at a particular nerve or joint and that needs confirming, and where pain is limiting what you can do in therapy. Medial branch blocks before radiofrequency ablation are the most common example.
Nobody is offered a procedure at a first appointment. The first visit is an examination and a plan; the procedure is consented and scheduled separately, and most plans require prior authorization first, which we arrange.
The skin is numbed and the block is placed under live X-ray guidance. It takes a few minutes, and you are awake so you can report what you feel.
You go home afterwards rather than staying overnight. Arrange a lift if you would rather not drive.
You will be asked to keep track of how much of your usual pain went away and for how long, because that record is the result. A vague answer produces a vague decision, so it is worth doing properly rather than reconstructing it later.
Whatever the result, it is information. A good response confirms the source of the pain; a poor one usually means the pain is coming from somewhere else, and that changes the plan rather than ending it.
We accept most major insurance plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. These procedures generally require prior authorization, which we arrange, and benefits are verified before anything is scheduled.
Read more about nerve block or Pain Management in Phoenix.
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 and Westgate clinics. Fluoroscopy is on site for guided injections.
No referral is needed to be evaluated. The procedure itself is scheduled after an assessment, and most insurance plans require prior authorization, which we arrange.
No. The first visit is an examination and a plan. Procedures are consented and scheduled separately.
The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic. You are awake, and being awake is useful because you can tell the physician what you feel.
The procedure itself takes a few minutes to under an hour depending on what is being treated. Allow longer for preparation and a short rest afterwards.
Often yes, but not always. You will be told in advance, so arrange a lift if you would rather not find out on the day.
We accept most major plans and are in network with most Medicare Advantage plans in both states. Prior authorization is usually required and we arrange it.
That is useful information rather than a dead end. It usually means the pain is coming from a different structure, which changes the plan.
Nerve Block is performed in office at our Mesa and Westgate clinics. No referral is needed to be evaluated, and appointments are usually available within the same week.
