Plus I read in neurology now article (see my other post to find it) blocks can cause nerve damage. Why then are people having them performed? Excuse my ignorance.

My PM doc told me that the nerve blocks would do me no good, and they could make my condition worse. Just getting blood test hurts me for at least 2 weeks. I guess any form of relief is acceptable for some, I just don't want the needles,knowing the blocks could make me worse.

I have been through more injections than I can count; be it steroids, rooster comb( synthetic cartilage),MRI arthrogram (dye injected in my knee joint,twice), and simple blood tests. Enough with the needles for me!

Each of us has to make our decisions with the knowledge of our own past needle experience since the onset of RSD; also,with what the PM doc provides to us.


Dew

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.

I had a Guanethidine nerve block when I was initially diagnosed with RSD (almost 5 months after the onset of symptoms) and had a really nasty reaction from them.

When I was diagnosed with RSD, I could just manage to walk around on crutches. I was really slow at walking but at least I could do it and sort of move around. When I had the nerve block though, all of that went and I was left wheelchair bound for 13 months.

When I had the nerve block, my doctor didn't know that you should never inject into an RSD limb. It was only after I had the block and the complications first started that my mum found an article on the internet stating NEVER to inject into an RSD limb unless you absolutely have to and by that time it was too late.

My Doctor didn't believe that the nerve block could cause such devestating complications to start off with. It was only when I had an ingrown toenail removed on my RSD leg and another doctor did a ring block to ease the pain that he started realising that the block must have caused those problems.

The ring block in my foot caused me to develop severe myoclonic spasms that lasted for months and I still have them now and didn't respond to any medications.

My Pain Management Doctor said that he has never seen such severe reactions in someone with RSD before and says I have the most 'wound up' nerves he has ever seen.

I had to have a splint made for the Dystonia in my RSD leg at the end of last year and my Doctor knew that it would cause more pain afterwards so decided to do an epidural. I really didn't want to have it done at first considering the complications I had from the other blocks but my doctor reassured me that it would go OK and that it wouldn't be injected anywhere near my leg.

The epidural with the Ketamine worked well and I got relief for 6 hours and didn't have any nasty complications thankfully. Seeing as the epidural worked, my PM Dr has now prescribed oral Ketamine to try and relieve my pain a bit.

It is believed that the nerves in my foot are really working overtime and misfiring a lot. My doctor has told me that he isn't going to do any more procedures in that area as it just isn't worth the risk and would probably only make things worse.

I think everyone responds differently to nerve blocks. Personally, after the experience I had, I certainly would NEVER have a nerve block done into an RSD limbs again. I have seen people that have had very good experiences from the blocks and some have even gone into remission if their RSD was caught early enough.

Everyone is different with RSD which makes it hard to determine how the blocks will work for you. I really wish that I didn't have the block in my RSD leg but my doctor told me that it could potentially reduce my pain so I decided to have it done - like anyone else with RSD would probably do if they were told the same thing.

Interesting topic though, i'll be interested to see what others have to say. Thanks for posting.

I've never had nerve blocks done, and just stuck to medication and classical treatment for RSD in Belgium (calcitonin, bisphosphonates). As far as the blocks are concerned, none of the pain management doctors I went too wanted to give me a guarantee that the blocks would make me better. And I certainly didn't want to get worse. Blocks are INVASIVE procedures! I had read Dr. Hooshmand's take on the nerve blocks, if they work, then they work, if they don't, they'll make it worse. I didn't want to get worse and there was no guarantee. I wasn't about to become a guinea pig! No way.

my doc will only do blocks under floro period. there is no other way to do them period .. and micheal is right it is to see if you pain is SMP or not. like me they only last a couple hours but that is worth it to me to have diminished pain for the couple of hours. its a personal choice i think

carrie

My insurance company would only approve (pay for) one block, for diagnostic purposes only. The medical reviewer said that any treatment would be so short it would not be worth the cost, pain effort and time.

On the other hand, the people at the pain managagement company (clinc?) said that if you do a series of blocks in short order, and in early stages, there was a possibility of improvement. My first block was 16 years after onset - not exactly early.

Anyway, I had only one block and the fact that it relieved the pain for 12 hours was a clue that I might be a candidate for a spinal cord stimulater trial.

Mike

Ok for me the nerve block made me worse but for others what I have heard is that it can get you to a point to be able to physical therapy which is very key to recovery of rsd. Then as you gradually are able to do more you become less senstive and stronger.

I have had 7 blocks. They make me feel better. They have never made me feel worse.

I go to a small, highly regarded hospital in Boston that is a teaching facility associated with Tufts. My doc, Joseph Reyes, trained with Daniel Carr, who retired to work in RSD research full time. I trust him and his team very much or I wouldn't go through the trouble of commuting from RI to Boston to see them. I found Reyes through a co-coworker, whose son is unfortunately extremely sick with RSD (6 yrs now) and has been to Germany for the ketamine coma (he's a former patient of Reyes and a current patient of Schwartzman in Philly). I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found such good medical care, especially since my RSD spread full body in less than 6 months. I know that the level of care I am getting is likely only available at the better teaching hospitals and larger medical facilities. There is a HUGE difference between the docs I see in RI and the ones I see in Boston, I just wish I had gotten to Boston earlier than I did.

Before I started getting blocks my RSD felt like it was spiraling out of control. I was a mess. I got my first block last Christmas Eve. I had my 7th a week ago today.

I have had blocks and they helped and I have seen what they did for people around me.

As far as block happy, what about the PM Drs. that are pill pushers and SCS pushers? More money in their pockets for kickbacks and surgeries.

I believe that this is the reason they donot want to do blocks. I believe Anesteologist can do better blocks.

I know some of you have good PM Drs. but I have seen several and donot want one for my care.

I see them pushing SCS's as soon as some people get RSD. Instead of trying less invasive things.

I totally disagree with the blocks not helping an awlfully lot of people. One is for diagnoses but they usually do series of thems to help put the RSD into remission.

Ada