had my medial branch nerve block today

The procedure went well.  I got lots of Versed during the procedure, so I slept in the car the whole way home, then made it to the couch before I fell asleep again and slept until after 6:00 pm.

The injections hurt.  They hurt a lot more than the epidural steroid injections I've had before.  The Versed didn't really do much for the pain, I don't think, but it did make me not care so much that it hurt.  I got six injections in all and I did a little yelling, I think.  But in between, I was all relaxed from the Versed, like damn, that hurt, yawn.  I did not look at the needles but I swear, they felt HUGE.

The good news is, half an hour later, I was able to sit up easily with no pain in my back.  I can bend over.  There is very little pain.  I feel kind of bruised where they injections were, but haven't had any muscle spasms.  I am supposed to take it easy tonight and tomorrow, then resume normal activity, which is great because I really haven't been able to do normal activities in a while now.  I go back to the doc June 18, and if we agree that the nerve block helped, will probably schedule the radiofrequency neurotomy which will be a longer lasting treatment.  And I think I will also get the referral to physical therapy then.

 I'm glad it's over for now, and I hope this will give you some lasting relief!

 That's such a relief to have little or no pain.  So glad it is helping.  Was wondering where you were. 
I hope you sleep like a big dog tonight for a change.  See you in the morning!   Jane

Just being able to sleep for several hours in a row without the pain waking me up is amazing.

I wondered how painful it would be when you said you were going to have it done.  It sounds like it was worth it, though.  Hopefully, this is the answer!

Lora

 I am glad you are doing well! I hope this procedure gives you some releif. 

I had that procedure down  and wasnt very lucky with my outcome....but i am hoping you do well with it!

Glad it reduced your pain! Sleep well tonight. I may need to have that done in the future. My Doc is sending me back to the pain dr.

hopefully it helps for awhile!! how long is the block supposed to be good for.

Apparently it varies but might be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.  It's not meant to provide long term relief but is actually considered a diagnostic procedure.  If it provides short term relief, then that suggests another procedure called radiofrequency neurotomy would be helpful for me.  What they do in that procedure is insert a needle where the medial branch nerves are, then use electricity to burn the nerve so that it makes a lesion on the nerve and the nerve will not conduct pain signals.  The nerve regenerates over time bu*****pically takes nine months to a year or more for it to do that.  So you have a long period of pain relief.

The plan then would be to do physical therapy, which would hopefully continue to provide relief even after the nerves heal.  But up 'til now, the pain has been severe enough that it would be very difficult to do much in the way of PT.  So hopefully I'll have at least a few days without pain and then have the neurotomy to look forward to in the future.

I'm telling you, just the thought of all these needles makes my nerves cringe.  And I'm not really scared of needles.  But big long ones in your back... ew!

 ah i see.  well hopefully it provides some relief so you can get the radiofrequency procedure.  but i gotta tell ya, needles in the back creep me out too!  Too bad they can't knock you out for it!