Overview:
Nerve Block Treatment for Chronic Pain in Austin, TX
Constant pain can make even the simplest parts of your day feel harder. Whether your pain begins in the neck, lower back, joints, or radiates along a nerve, identifying its exact source isn’t always easy. At Advanced Pain Care, our experienced physicians use image-guided nerve block procedures to both identify potential pain sources and provide meaningful relief without surgery whenever possible.
A nerve block works by interrupting pain signals before they reach the brain. Depending on your diagnosis, a nerve block injection may temporarily numb the affected nerve, reduce inflammation, or help determine whether a specific nerve is responsible for your symptoms.
Chronic pain affects millions of Americans every year. A 2025 estimate from the National Institutes of Health shows that more than 50 million U.S. adults experience chronic pain, while about 17 million live with high-impact chronic pain that limits daily activities. If you are experiencing chronic pain, connect with doctors at our pain management clinic in Austin, TX. We will first understand what’s causing your pain, and if a nerve block is the right choice, you’ll receive a clear explanation of everything before moving forward.
What Is a Nerve Block Procedure?
Pain sometimes does not come from the area where you feel it. An irritated nerve or nerve compression may send pain signals to other areas of your body. A nerve block places medication near that nerve to help calm the source of the problem, instead of affecting your whole body like oral medications.
How Does a Nerve Block For Pain Work?
Your nerves are messengers that carry the signals between your body and brain. When a nerve remains irritated, it may continue transmitting pain signals. You may have recovered from the injury, but an irritated nerve may keep sending signals. Doctors perform the nerve block procedure to help interrupt those signals and give the nerve a chance to settle down.
Depending on your condition, the medication your pain doctor in Austin, TX, chooses may include:
- A local anesthetic for fast pain relief
- A corticosteroid to reduce swelling around the affected nerve
- Other medications, if they are needed
Diagnostic vs. Therapeutic Nerve Blocks
Nerve blocks may be performed for several different reasons.
- Diagnostic Nerve Block: A diagnostic nerve block is used to see if a specific nerve is causing your pain. If you notice clear relief after the injection, your doctor has a better idea that the targeted nerve is the source of your symptoms.
- Therapeutic Nerve Block: A therapeutic nerve block is given to help ease pain and calm an irritated nerve. For many people, the relief lasts for several weeks or even months, although it varies from person to person.
Why Image Guidance Matters
The medication needs to reach the targeted area to provide maximum benefit. At Advanced Pain Care, physicians use fluoroscopy or ultrasound to guide the procedure and see the treatment area in real time.
Most nerve block procedures take less than 30 minutes. Since they’re performed on an outpatient basis, you can usually go home the same day.
When Is Nerve Block Treatment Recommended?
A nerve block treatment in Austin, TX, can help manage many chronic pain conditions when conservative therapies have not provided adequate relief.
Common conditions include:
- Chronic neck pain
- Nerve blocks for back pain, including lumbar facet pain
- Arthritis related joint pain
- Facet joint syndrome
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Occipital neuralgia and related headaches
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Cancer-related pain
- Persistent pain after surgery
- Peripheral nerve injuries and nerve entrapment syndromes
Rather than simply masking symptoms, diagnostic nerve blocks can also identify which structures are generating pain, allowing treatment to become increasingly targeted.
What Happens During a Nerve Block Procedure?
The procedure is simple and does not take very long. Your visit will typically include these steps, and you will be able to return home the same day.
- Initial Consultation: The doctor will first listen to what’s been bothering you and review your health history and all the past treatments that you have tried.
- Finding the Right Spot: Next comes the turn of using fluoroscopy or ultrasound to guide the injection to the area that needs treatment.
- Numbing the Area: The skin is numbed first, so the injection is more comfortable and the treatment experience feels smoother overall.
- The Injection: Your doctor places a thin needle near the affected nerve and injects the medication.
- Recovery: You’ll relax for a short time while the care team makes sure you’re feeling well before you leave.
- Same Day Discharge: Most individuals return home within a short time and receive personalized activity instructions before leaving.
How Long Does a Nerve Block Last?
One of the most common questions patients ask is how long a nerve block lasts.
There’s no set answer for everyone. How long the relief lasts depends on why the injection was given and what issue it is treating.
- Diagnostic nerve blocks generally provide relief for several hours while the local anesthetic remains active.
- Therapeutic nerve blocks may provide pain relief for several weeks or even several months when inflammation is reduced successfully.
- Steroids typically require several days before reaching their full anti-inflammatory effect.
Generally, what influences the results are factors like:
- What’s causing your pain
- How irritated the nerve is
- The medication your doctor uses
- How your body responds after the injection
- Whether you’re also receiving other treatments, like physical therapy
Some people usually feel better after one injection. Others may need another nerve block in Austin, TX, or additional treatment to keep the pain under control.
Benefits of Nerve Block Treatment
For many people, pain relief is just the beginning. As the pain eases, everyday life often starts to feel a little easier.
You may notice:
At Advanced Pain Care, we take the time to understand what you’re feeling, where the pain starts, and how it affects your daily life.
- Pain isn’t getting in the way as much.
- Everyday tasks feel manageable again.
- You’re sleeping better at night.
- You’re not reaching for pain medication as often.
- Less irritation around the affected nerve.
Other Advantages of Nerve Block Treatment:
- Your doctor can get a better idea of the source of your pain.
- There is potentially no need for major surgery and a long recovery.
- A quick procedure with little downtime.
Visit Advanced Pain Care for a Nerve Block Treatment in Austin, TX
Living with pain is hard enough. Choosing the right team shouldn’t be.
At Advanced Pain Care, our board-certified pain management specialists in Austin, TX, use fluoroscopy or ultrasound to guide every nerve block procedure.
With us, you benefit from:
- Experienced, board-certified pain specialists
- Image-guided nerve block procedures
- A treatment plan based on your needs
- Care for many types of chronic pain
- Convenient locations across Central Texas
- Same-week appointments when available
- Additional treatment options if you need more than a nerve block
