Me BP,

The nerve blocks aren't pleasant and I have had several different types done; trigger points, facets and selective nerve root injections. But I will say this much...my PM uses a lot of numbing medication so it isn't horrible. I think it depends on WHO is doing it too. The first PM's I had were actually Residents so it took them a lot longer. My newer PM is fast and of course uses flouroscopy. There are times all I felt was pressure and other times; only twice that I can think of it where it was pretty uncomfortable. But the thing was, for me anyway, I was ready for SOMEBODY to just take my head off. So, when you are having that much severe pain, you just do not care if they ram ten needles in your head. It was so bad I lived for the days I could get the injections because I knew I would get relief. I have no experience with a stimulator because I really needed a fusion and eventually had that done...actually two of them. But there are times that I need injections at other levels. And, well, some people prefer the meds to needles. I prefer to have the injections and keep meds low. But everyone is different. And as my PM says, no one LIKES getting injections and he gets them himself for his own neck (he has two fusions as well). And I know he can't take pain meds since he isn't allowed to. And he has also told me that no amount of oral anti inflammatories can get that deep and to the source. I have found that to be true as well. Prednisone might help a little bit. But for the regular nerve meds, they just never did touch that ON pain.