Image-guided injection of steroid and anaesthetic alongside a compressed spinal nerve root. Used to relieve sciatica or arm pain and confirm the pain source.
A nerve root block delivers corticosteroid and local anaesthetic alongside a specific spinal nerve root that has been compressed or irritated. This is most commonly used for sciatica (lumbar nerve root) or arm pain from a cervical nerve root. It reduces local nerve inflammation and can break the pain cycle while the underlying cause — a disc herniation or stenosis — is managed.
The procedure is performed as a day case under X-ray guidance. Mr. Rath places a thin needle alongside the targeted nerve root and confirms placement before injecting. The whole procedure takes 20–30 minutes. You should arrange for someone to drive you home.
Improvement in leg or arm symptoms typically begins within a few days as the steroid takes effect.
Selective nerve root blocks are particularly useful when imaging shows pathology at multiple levels and it is unclear which is causing your symptoms. The diagnostic component — how much relief you get — helps Mr. Rath plan whether surgery is needed and at which level.
Nerve root blocks are safe outpatient procedures when performed with imaging guidance by an experienced spinal surgeon.
No. An epidural delivers medication into the epidural space generally. A nerve root block targets a specific individual nerve root — more precise and more useful diagnostically.
Sometimes. Many cases of nerve root pain resolve with time and conservative treatment. An injection can allow the inflammation to settle and bridge the period while the disc fragment resorbs.
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