Local injection therapy (LIT) - therapeutic blockades - quickly, effectively, for a long time!

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Typically, blocking pressure points is recommended for those patients who suffer from painful manifestations in the spine. Such pain can occur with the following pathologies:

• osteochondrosis;
• spondylosis of the deforming type;
• herniated discs;
• lateral narrowing of the spinal canals;
• back injuries;
• radiculopathy;
• protrusion of vertebral discs;
• neoplasms in the intervertebral space.

IMPORTANT! The procedure is performed only if conservative treatment does not produce a noticeable effect.

The pain begins to subside after the first injection, but in particularly severe cases, 2-15 procedures may be required at intervals of several days. The advantages of this treatment are the speed of the analgesic effect, a minimum of adverse reactions, and the possibility of repeated use.

Indications

• Osteocondritis of the spine.
• Intervertebral disc protrusion.
• Intervertebral hernia.
• Spondyloarthrosis of the spine.
• Neurites that emerge from the spinal canal.
• Ankylosing spondylitis.
• Neuralgia of the spinal nerves.

Advantages of the blockade:

• Fast-acting effect. A minute after the drug is administered, the patient is relieved of pain.
• There is virtually no risk of side effects.
• Possibility of repeating the course.
• The palliative effect occurs along with antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Blockade for spinal hernia

People can live with a vertebral hernia for years and sometimes not even realize that they have it. Especially if acute pain has never happened.

IMPORTANT! If the pathology develops, but does not cause any discomfort, then pain relief does not make sense.

But when, during an exacerbation, the patient begins to feel acute unbearable pain, which prevents him from leading his usual lifestyle, then he should consult a doctor and perform a spinal block. Most often, blocking the pain syndrome is necessary with a lumbar hernia, since there the pain affects not only the back, but also the lower extremities. Injections will help quickly relieve pain and make it possible to carry out therapeutic measures without discomfort.

Content

• Benefits of neck injections
• Blockade for cervical osteochondrosis
• Treatment with cervical spine block

• Expert opinion
• Cost of treatment
• We recommend reading

Pain levels

0 — 3

Mild pain

- does not interfere with everyday activities, but you can adapt to the pain.

4-6

Moderate pain

- prevents you from doing business, prevents you from concentrating, the patient remains independent

7-8

Strong pain

- it is impossible to carry out daily activities, it is difficult to think about anything other than pain, the patient cannot function independently

9-10

Unbearable pain

- requires urgent care, bed rest, disables the patient

Blockade of spinal protrusions

The reason for injections in the case of protrusions can only be pain that persists even after intravenous and intramuscular administration of analgesics of various origins.

Blockades are also necessary for noticeable myospasm that forms in the area of ​​the damaged disc. Constant muscle tension leads to curvature of the spine and increased displacement of skeletal bones.

With the development of radicular syndrome (with dorsal protusions), the disc seems to protrude towards the spinal canal, pinching it. This leads to numbness of the limbs, paresis and paralysis. With this syndrome, a procedure is needed to block the irritated nerves.

IMPORTANT! Blockade injections DO NOT TREAT protrusions, they only help alleviate the patient's condition. They can only be cured by systematic conservative treatment or surgical intervention in advanced cases.

Contraindications

As with any treatment method, there are contraindications:

• Low level of platelets in the blood.
• Skin infection at the site of the procedure.
• Episyndrome.
• Arrhythmia (injected drugs affect the heart rhythm).
• Arterial hypotension.
• Acute infections (AIDS, hepatitis, STDs, etc.).
• Mental disorders.
• Pregnancy and lactation period.

Half of people over 40 years old suffer from diseases of the spine and the pain syndrome that develops interferes with normal life. The vertebrologists at our clinic are fully trained to perform this manipulation. We guarantee safety and absence of complications.

If you have severe pain in the spine, do not perform this manipulation at home. This can lead to paralysis and death.

How long does a spinal block last?

Usually the drug begins to act immediately after administration. Relief comes quite quickly. However, the injection remains only a temporary measure. The effect will last only 7-14 days.

Spinal blocks are a good way to relieve pain when intramuscular and intravenous injections do not help. However, we draw your attention to the fact that they do not cure, but only relieve pain. After relief of the condition, you should definitely consult a doctor to draw up a treatment plan.

How is a blockade done with novocaine?

This procedure should not be confused with a regular injection. It has a complex technique. Let's look at how the novocaine blockade procedure is done.

It is performed by a doctor in a treatment room in a sterile manner. Injections are not given at home because there are no appropriate conditions.

Novocaine, like any medication, can cause an allergic reaction. Before using novocaine blockade on the painful area, a neurologist from the SmartMed clinic will make sure that there is no allergy to the anesthetic used. To test the body's sensitivity to the administered drug, the doctor will make a test subcutaneous injection of a small dose of novocaine. The absence of rashes, redness, and swelling indicates normal tolerability of the medication.

At the site of novocaine injection, the patient may feel numbness, bloating or warmth. This is a normal reaction to the medication and goes away within 24 hours.

At the site of novocaine injection, the patient may feel numbness, bloating or warmth. This is a normal reaction to the medication and goes away within 24 hours.

Blockade of the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine and joints with anesthetics is performed following the sequence of actions:

1. The patient takes a comfortable position - sitting on a chair or lying on a couch, depending on the area of ​​pain.
2. The neurologist treats the injection area with an antiseptic. Since a long needle is used for nerve blockade, in order to reduce the pain of the procedure, a small concentration of novocaine solution is injected subcutaneously into the injection area. After such manipulation, the patient does not feel pain from the injection, the doctor begins basic pain relief.
3. The doctor inserts a thin long needle into the painful area. Having reached the desired depth, he injects a solution of novocaine.
4. Then he removes the needle. The puncture site must be pressed for 5 minutes. After this time, seal it with a special sticker.

What is the novocaine blockade procedure for pain? This is an injection manipulation that relieves pain and inflammation, which should be performed by a doctor who has knowledge in the field of surgical anatomy and peripheral innervation of the body.

For back pain, novocaine solution is injected into the soft tissues near the spinal column, into the cavity of the facet joints, into the spinal roots or large nerves, into the epidural space

In order to control and correct the advancement of the needle, to inject the novocaine solution into the tissue surrounding the inflamed nerve and the source of pain, it is necessary to have experience in carrying out such procedures.

Failure to comply with the medical blockade technique is fraught with both local and systemic complications:

• lack of analgesic effect;
• hematomas, bruises;
• swelling;
• aneurysms;
• inflammatory processes;
• sensory disturbance;
• tissue necrosis;
• allergic reactions.

A neurologist from the SmartMed clinic selects the optimal concentration of the solution and type of novocaine blockade, taking into account the indications, the patient’s health status, and individual characteristics.

Medicines for blockade

Patients often ask the question: what are the injections made of and how do they affect the body? Blockade drugs are divided into single-component and multi-component. The first type is the safest. Adding multiple medications increases the risk of allergic reactions and side effects.

Local anesthetics are the main components of the injections. They block pain receptors and quickly alleviate the patient's condition. These include:

• Novocaine;
• Lidocaine;
• Bupivacaine.

How long do anesthetics relieve pain?
The duration of the analgesic effect depends on the type of blockade. The most effective are epidural and sacral. The medicine enters directly into the lesion, blocks impulses from the nerve roots and has an immediate and long-lasting effect. Paravertebral injections are more often used for thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis. They quickly relieve pain, but have less anesthetic effect than an epidural procedure. The most common is paravertebral blockade with novocaine. It acts quickly and relieves pain for 2 hours. Do not prescribe the medicine for heart and liver failure or if you are intolerant to the drug.

Lidocaine paravertebral blockade has a longer effect of up to 3 hours. The low cost makes the medicine accessible to various segments of the population. Contraindications are hypertension, severe liver disease, bleeding.

Bupivacaine is a more expensive drug, so patients are concerned about how long the analgesic effect lasts? The drug has a long-lasting effect of up to 5 hours. It is not prescribed for hypotension and diseases of the nervous system.

Corticosteroids

Hormonal medications are used in combination with anesthetics. They enhance the medicinal effect, have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

The most popular drugs:

• Hydrocortisone;
• Dexamethasone;
• Kenalog;
• Diprospan.

The anesthetic is thoroughly mixed with Hydrocortisone and an injection is given in the back. Allergic reactions are possible. Dexamethasone acts quickly and effectively, but for a short time. Kenalog is used to relieve pain in the joints and spine. Contraindications include gastric ulcers, infectious diseases, and glaucoma. Diprospan has a long-lasting effect and copes well with pain. The drug is not prescribed for diabetes mellitus, liver failure, or skin diseases. All hormonal drugs are contraindicated for pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Cost of services

Mechanism of the procedure

What causes the pain to begin? Discomfort is directly related to pinched nerves. Doctors use many methods to relieve pain symptoms.

Patients drink tablets and diluted powders, take capsules, and inject medications intramuscularly. But when other means are powerless, a blockade of novocaine, lidocaine and other drugs becomes an effective method for relieving pain.

Irina Martynova. Graduated from Voronezh State Medical University named after. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical resident and neurologist BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".Ask a question>>

Mechanism of action

When pathological changes occur in the spine, the spinal nerves are pinched, which provokes severe pain. Depending on which nerve is pinched, the pain can radiate to the neck, shoulders, buttocks, hips, etc. If it becomes unbearable, the only way to help the person is to perform a blockade.

Due to the targeted administration of the anesthetic, the conduction of impulses along the nerve fibers is temporarily blocked. This leads to the elimination or at least a significant reduction in pain intensity within a couple of minutes. Therefore, the patient can almost immediately return to abandoned activities and move fully.

If the manipulation is performed correctly, there are no negative consequences, which allows you to repeat it as many times as required. An additional advantage is the presence in the injected solution, in addition to the anesthetic, of anti-inflammatory substances. They contribute to the rapid elimination of the inflammatory process in the affected segment of the spine and increase the effectiveness of conservative therapy.

The procedure is carried out exclusively under completely sterile conditions (usually in an operating room or dressing room)

This is extremely important, since when viruses or bacteria penetrate the spinal cord, life-threatening complications can develop: meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis

In the first few days after the manipulation, there may be undesirable consequences in the form of numbness of a part of the body. This does not require correction and goes away on its own in a few days.

The advantages of therapeutic blockades at the clinic named after. N.I. Pirogov in St. Petersburg

• Appointments are conducted by doctors with extensive practical experience, authors of scientific papers and patents. Our professionals accurately diagnose neurological diseases, are fluent in modern and traditional therapeutic techniques, and select the optimal treatment strategy for each patient;
• The clinic is equipped with new equipment from leading foreign companies;
• The Center for the Treatment of Pain and Vascular Diseases regularly holds promotions and offers discounts, offering patients high-quality medical services at a competitive price.

Main groups of drugs for osteochondrosis

Local anesthetics

This group of medical drugs is prescribed for the following types of blockades:

1. One-component;
2. Two-component;
3. Multicomponent.

When in contact with nerve fibers, they are able to delay the transmission of nerve impulses, which makes it possible to block the pain reflex and other sensitivity in the places where the medicine is administered.

Local anesthetic drugs include the following medications.

• Novocaine. Low back blockade with this medicine is used more often than others. The analgesic effect occurs 2-4 minutes after the start of administration and lasts up to 1-3 hours. This time is enough to stop the painful pulsation and stabilize the condition to normal;
• Lidocaine. It is in second place in terms of prevalence after the previous drug. This drug has a high analgesic index with a rapid onset of effect. The blockade effect is also long-lasting - about 2.5-3 hours.

Corticosteroids

This group includes anti-inflammatory drugs that instantly eliminate pain, inflammatory reaction and swelling. Capable of having an antiallergic effect. As the only drug for blockade in case of osteochondrosis, they are not used, but are combined with local anesthetic drugs to obtain a better effect. Also used as a preventive measure for allergies to Lidocaine or Novocaine.

Corticosteroids include the following drugs:

• Hydrocortisone is a completely water-insoluble suspension; before administration it is mixed with an anesthetic;
• Dexamethasone - the effect is immediate, but not long-lasting;
• Diprospan is a long-acting drug that medical professionals consider an ideal remedy for eliminating pain due to osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.

Most often, complex injections for lumbar osteochondrosis are prescribed:

1. Pain-relieving medical drugs;
2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
3. Hormonal pills;
4. Vitamins, as well as complex vitamin-mineral compounds.

When an acute sudden attack of osteochondrosis occurs, intravenous (or drip) administration of the drug is prescribed. For blockade procedures, a dose of local anesthetic and a dosage of an anti-inflammatory drug are used.

Advantages

Therapeutic blockade has undeniable advantages over other methods of pain relief:

• In the pathological focus, the maximum concentration of the drug is achieved, and side effects are minimal.
• Painful sensations are quickly eliminated. The dose of medication required to achieve an effect is significantly less than with intramuscular administration.
• The complex effect consists not only of pain relief, but also of a long-term therapeutic effect on the pathological focus.
• Therapeutic blockades can be carried out repeatedly in case of new pain.