To view a color brochure of the instructions for this procedure, click here.

The Pain Management team has suggested a lumbar sympathetic block to treat your pain. This procedure is useful in the evaluation and management of sympathetically mediated pain of the lower extremities, included in this category are reflex sympathetic dystrophy, causalgia, and a variety of other peripheral neuropathies. This procedure may be completed singularly or in a series, if the temporary or diagnostic procedure(s) result in significant pain relief, a long-term procedure can be performed. The long-term procedure can produce pain relief noted for three months or more.
This procedure will be completed at the Pain Treatment Center under flouro (low-dose x-ray) guidance. This will allow the physician to visualize the precise areas. The radiological technologist, nurse, and physician will be present during the entire procedure.

You will report to the Pain Treatment Center where a short assessment will be completed, vital signs will be obtained and an intravenous (IV) may be inserted. you will be positioned on the procedure table on your stomach. The nurse and technologist will assist you into position.

in most cases sedation will be given through your IV once monitoring equipment is in place. Monitoring includes blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and ecg tracing.

The area will be located using fluoroscopy. The physician will instill a local anesthetic. Once the area is numb, a small needle will be placed. Through the needle, Marcaine (long acting anesthetic) is injected. This will block the nerves that are acting via the sympathetic system, often pain relief is noted immediately. The relief may increase in intensity and duration with each subsequent block, side effects of this procedure are soreness at the injection site and in the lower lumbar area. Complications such as infection, bruising, or hematoma (blood leaking under the skin) may occur on rare occasions.