Broke the foot in January. It was crushed while my tire & truck sat on it. Don't ask! I still can't recall how the hell I managed that.
Cortisone worked, but when I recently saw the pain man he decided too many areas of the foot (6) were not gonna work as they had. This week the first of 3 nerve blocks will go down thru the spine.

Would like to hear some input & info. on the percentage of it's positive use & what to expect. I hate surprises.

Have you been diagnosed with RSD? If not, I have a feeling you may be in the wrong group here for anyone to be able to answer your questions. You may want to recheck the health conditions for a different group.

Wish you well,
Dawn

Here is a link to our Spinal disorders and back pain forum:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

My foot Dr. had an emergency, so I saw the Dr. filling in. She was the only one why bothered to have a x-ray of both feet. RSD was the first thing out of her mouth & I saw the 2 x-rays.

Sounds like you are talking about Lumbar Sympathetic Nerve Blocks.

These work for some and don't for others. Some have great relief while some have little or none.

Unfortunately there are no two people with RSD that it affects the same and no two that respond the same way to medications or treatments.

For me, I had can't recall how many blocks I had... I think it was 7.. it was so long ago. The first one lasted a few hours with fairly good relief. After that, I had zero relief and added pain.

I sincerely wish you the best...

Abbie

Thanks abasaki-

My biggest fear is that the surgeon "accidentally" damages the spine. That's the last thing I need right now!

Hi,

My best advice to you is that you check out your doctor before having the blocks. You have every right to know the surgeons track records. What is his specialty?

I hope that you get relief from your blocks. My daughter had 4 blocks when she was 15 years old. She did find some relief.

Good Luck,
Sandy

The doctor "should" be doing these with the help of Fluoroscopy.
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3488


This is how all of mine were done. I had zero spine problems arise from these blocks.

I have had three of these blocks with very short term results. Mine were placed high in the neck, and I did have what was called a rare complication. It was a spinal fluid headache and it was the mother of all headaches. My doctor had me go to the ER for a head scan and blood pressure monitoring, and I finally had my son help drag me out against MA because they treated me so badly and I couldn't take the noise. The headache lasted about a week and I was in bed with it for three days. I wish you luck with your blocks, and I do need to mention that I had treatment resistant RSD for a long time. Good luck, Lisa

Sarcasm,

I would assume what others said is correct, that you have been diagnosed with RSD, otherwise spinal blocks (not sure what type you are talking about) for a foot problem makes no sense.

Abasaki is spot on, that lumbar sympathetic blocks (for lower extremity RSD) are done under fluorscopic guidance. In so far as headaches are concerned as suggested by others, a lumbar sympathetic block is targeted at the sympathetic plexus, which is outside of but adjacent to the spine (I am not positive but damned near certain). It is not within the central canal or encased within the vertebra so accidental puncture of the thecal sac and resultant "epidural headache" is not a concern.

Don't get me wrong, it is still a somewhat invasive procedure as it punctures the skin!