When is a cervical nerve root block required?
Cervical (of the neck) nerve root blocks (CNRBs) play a very important role in the conservative treatment of patients with cervical radicular pain. A cervical nerve root block is generally advised for the patients in the following circumstances: • Therapeutic effects are required to delay or prevent surgery • Imaging studies are normal • Imaging studies show multiple levels of pathology Generally, a cervical nerve root block will be performed to determine if a specific nerve root is the source of pain. Another important aim is to reduce inflammation around the nerve root, thus decreasing or relieving the pain. A research by Strobel et al strongly suggest that patients with disk herniation, foraminal nerve root compromise and no spinal canal stenosis appear to have the greatest pain relief after this procedure.
