I had lumbar blocks done for my legs last year , 14 of them.. 10 on one side and 4 on the other, the right leg was the origional injury but they ended up doing bilateral blocks till the right (compensable leg) stopped getting benifit... ever though the blocks were on the left were working WCB stopped the treatment cause the compensable leg wasnt improving any more! (my vent).

I was three months in the clinic getting the blocks done along with a multidiciplanary aproach to my treatment (PT, OT, Psyc, pain education, body dynamics, councelling etc..) I had a few blocks that left me feeling like I'd beed kicked in the kidneys by a horse, some that numbed me more than expected and one came with a pain in my groin and a numb thigh for a few days.

The one I liked most was one that inadvertantly got a BILATERAL block from the right side into the left.. the mirror spread that had gone unacknowlaged and ignored (by them) was gone and they saw the warming and improved movement ect then they started doing both sides till the right side stopped getting any sustained benifit.

My lumbar sympathetic blocks were done under light anesthesia but I found even the prick of a needle more painfull than normal.. like tooth clenching Dull needle pain.

I feel that the benifit was worth the risks and if I thought they would help I would do them again.

Hugs,
sandra