Well, for me, they provided confirmation that I had sympathetically maintained pain. And that information alone was worth a great deal.

And in fact, a dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system (neurogenic vasodialation) continues to be the underlying mechanism of my edema today: the veins lose their tone and water literally leaks out of the blood.

But have said that, Dr. Oaklander is right that a lot of doctors are "block happy" and continue them long after they can do any possible good. And there are clowns out there who administer blocks without flouroscopy, greatly increasing the chance of the nerve damage of which she speaks.