To be honest the sympathetic block was no hassle at all - I honestly don't know what the fuss is about!

It doesn't enter any joints so it is nothing more than an intra-muscular injection albeit with a very long needle. It is certainly much less invasive than an epidural and the risks are considerably lower.

There was no sedation, just a local anaesthetic injected where the needle went in - this means there can be no pain. As the needle is pushed further in, the anaesthetist puts more local down the needle each time you can start to feel it. This is normal in the UK - honestly, sedation is totally unnecessary for the vast majority of people. Some countries like the US and France are much more pro-drugs. They had to do mine twice because the needle was in slightly the wrong place but it made no difference - once the area has been anaesthetised then you feel nothing but a bit of pressure.

I only had one block. It made no difference to my pain levels so I got no useful therapeutic outcome (as with many people) but it did confirm the CRPS diagnosis so there was no point in repeating the procedure. I think they are much more gung-ho about repeating these blocks over and over again in the US than they are in the UK. The view here is that it is also a bit pointless to do them as close together as yours are because it gives no time for the block to settle and no opportunity to see what happens therapeutically over a few weeks.

I think sometimes doctors repeat these over and over because they can't think of anything else to do/try. Patients go through with that because they are scared and want to feel that the doc is "doing something".

A lot of people get no benefit whatsover from the blocks so I'd urge you to take stock after tomorrow's block and really think about whether you are getting any therapeutic benefit for your pain and other symptoms. There are plenty of people who have all sorts of horror stories from repeated pointless blocks.

Good luck anyway.

Talk through with your doctor his true reason for doing these blocks and for doing them so close together so that you are absolutely sure that it makes sense if he suggests any more.