Do nerve blocks with steroids cure the problem for which they are used in chronic pain conditions?
Nerve blocks for chronic pain generally do not “cure” the problem but rather decrease the inflammation. We typically see a more manageable pain level and, therefore, improved function. This will allow the body time to heal itself. There are numerous examples of clinical conditions that can be treated with nerve blocks. For examples, when treating a herniated disc with epidural steroids, we decrease the inflammation of the nerve roots. Whether one gets long term relief depends on what actually happens with the herniated disc. A herniated disc will resorb up to 60% of time. However, this means 40% of the time the disc will stay the same or even get worse.
