What is
Selective Nerve Root Block (SNRB)
One of the causes of pain that passes into the extremities is irritation of one or more nerve roots. The purpose of a Selective Nerve Root Block (SNRB) is to specifically block one or more spinal nerves to decrease pain. This is done by injecting an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroids into the space around the nerve for the nerve block.
A Selective Nerve Root Block is similar to an epidural steroid injection, but is more specific. This will help determine which particular nerve is related to your symptoms.
What are the purposes for a Selective Nerve Root Block
A Selective Nerve Root Block (SNRB) ia a diagnostic procedure that is used to evaluate patients with:
- Radicular pain
- Stenosis
- Conditions that may result in nerve root compression
What to Expect During Selective Nerve Root Block Injections
Once you have decided to have the injection, the following events take place:
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight before your nerve block injection.
- You can take your regular heart and blood pressure medications on the morning of the nerve block injection with a sip of water. Diabetes medications should not be taken.
- Discontinue taking anti-inflammatories three days before the nerve block injection.
- Discontinue taking aspirin products seven days before the nerve block injection.
- If on blood thinners, call the physician who prescribed the medication to get approval to stop taking them before the injection.
- You will be in a recovery room for about 30 minutes.
- It is important that you have someone to drive you home.
- It is common to experience an increase in pain once the numbing medicine wears off.
- The steroid does not become effective for 24 hours.
- Activity should be restricted for the first 4-5 days after the injection.
- You will need to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your level of pain relief after the nerve block injection.
- Following the steroid injection, the patient is usually monitored 15 to 20 minutes before being discharged to go home.
- It is important that the patient have someone drive him/her home after the steroid injection.
- Patients are usually asked to rest on the day of the injection.
- Normal activities (those that were done the week prior to the injection), including work, may typically be resumed the following day. Please note that your back may be sore for 24 to 48 hours.
- There is no definitive research to dictate how often a patient should have epidural steroid injections. In general, it is considered reasonable to perform up to three epidural steroid injections per year, but no more than four during this period. The decision to do a series of injections is usually based on the patient’s response to the fist injection.