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Stellate ganglion blocks are a procedure that utilizes the injection of local anesthetic into the sympathetic nerves that are found within the neck area. The stellate ganglion is a network of nerves that is comprised of the cervical sympathetic trunk fused with the first thoracic ganglion. This network of nerves is also known as the cervicothoracic ganglion and provides the information transfer between the seventh and eighth cervical nerves, the spinal cord, and brain. In other words, the stellate ganglion is responsible for governing blood flow, as well as sensory processing, for the head, neck, chest, and upper limbs.

Intra-articular peripheral joint injections provide physicians with an effective modality to help treat conditions, such as chronic joint pain, degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis. Injections for chronic joint pain have come a long way since they were first described in the 1930s.

Epidural injections for pain relief emerged in 1901. The first epidural injection performed used cocaine to relieve pain that was suspected to emerge from the lumbar nerve roots. Between the 1920s and 1940s, epidural injections contained mostly saline and a local anesthetic agent. The use of corticosteroids in epidural steroid injections began in 1952. The corticosteroid used during this procedure is a synthetic, man-made drug whose function is similar to that of cortisol.

Peripheral nerve stimulation is an alternative or next-line treatment for patients with severe or chronic headache pain. This treatment is recommended for cases in which conventional medications, such as oral analgesics, have not produced the expected effect. Peripheral nerve stimulation is a drug-free form of therapy in which devices that emit mild electrical impulses that correct high or abnormal level of pain signals are placed in the body near peripheral nerves that carry these signals. This type of technique is known as neuromodulation, which employs minimally-invasive surgery to provide medium- to long-term relief from pain.

Posterior facet blocks and facet rhizotomies are treatments used to bring relief to patients suffering from chronic back pain. The facet joints are the flexible spaces between the vertebrae that allow the spine to bend and flex. When problems arise in and around these joints, back pain may occur. When this pain becomes chronic and does not respond well to over-the-counter treatments such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a physician may suggest a posterior facet block or rhizotomy.

A selective nerve root block is a minimally invasive procedure that is used to diagnose and treat cervical, thoracic, and lumbar pain, and associated extremity pain. It involves injecting a local anesthetic directly into a specific, targeted nerve root of the spine to help identify the source of a patient’s pain symptoms. Secondarily, it may also be used to provide therapeutic relief of a patient’s symptoms.

If you suffer from chronic pain that hasn’t responded to other treatments, a spinal cord stimulator could help. Spinal cord stimulators are devices that deliver low-level electrical stimulation to block pain signals. They’re considered the “pacemakers for pain.” And, although the stimulator may not provide pain relief in all cases, previous literature has demonstrated that approximately one-half of all patients who use a trial spinal cord stimulator report significant pain relief. Over 70% of patients who used an implanted spinal cord stimulator for neuropathic pain reported pain relief benefits.