Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks

Indianapolis’ Center for Pain Management uses lumbar sympathetic blocks as a pain management treatment option to relieve chronic back pain or acute back pain.

The lumbar sympathetic nerves run on the front surface of the spinal column, rather than inside the spinal canal with nerves from the central nervous system. The sympathetic nerves control functions that people do not have to think about or have direct control over (e.g., heartbeat). However, there is a connection between the central and sympathetic nervous systems. For instance, sometimes arm or leg pain is caused by a malfunction of the sympathetic system after an injury.

How it works: Regardless of the level of the spine at which it is applied, a sympathetic nerve block involves injecting medicine around the sympathetic nerves in a lumbar or cervical area.  By doing this the system is temporarily blocked in an attempt to reduce or eliminate pain. If some level of success is achieved after the first block, then additional blocks are generally repeated in seven to 10 days and repeated again until the pain diminishes.