(This is the section that explains the detail of the operation or procedure above and should be read in conjunction with the section called your back operation).

A lumbar nerve root block is performed for a pain that is caused by an irritated nerve root. The aim of the procedure is to reduce the inflammation of the nerve root and also block the pain impulse from travelling up the nerve to the brain. This will then bring partial or complete (but temporary) relief of the pain.

The reason that your surgeon performs this procedure is to firstly correctly diagnose whether this nerve root is causing the pain that is felt in the leg and secondly to bring temporary relief from the pain. It is the usual practice to use a mixture of long-acting local anaesthetic and steroids when injecting around the nerve root.

The local anaesthetic brings instantaneous relief of the pain if this is indeed the nerve root responsible for the pain and serves as a confirmation to your doctor that this is indeed the pathological level. The steroids reduce the inflammation and will give longer acting pain relief. This pain relief may be permanent in cases where the nerve compression is of a temporary nature. It helps the normal recovery process of the nerve in cases where the compression is a temporary feature. This may the case in a disc herniation.

In other cases where the foramen through which the nerve runs (see the anatomy chapter) is permanently obstructed through a disc fragment or because of a bony narrowing, the relief will only be temporary. It is frequently used to determine the level at which an operation should take place.

When undergoing this procedure, you will be lying on your stomach on bolsters or pillows during your procedure. Your surgeon will use a X-ray machine to guide the needles that is used to do the procedures with. The needle is placed directly into the foramen and a mixture of steroids and local anaesthetic is injected into the foramen and around the nerve.

Ward care

You may sometimes have a bit of discomfort directly following the procedure, but this will clear up very soon. You will be allowed to move around freely following your procedure.

Discharge

This procedure is usually performed as a day procedure.

Rehabilitation

It is incredibly important to get a lot of rest and exercise following your surgery. It is frequently useful to supplement your treatment with physiotherapy and local treatment such as massage therapy and chiropractic treatment.

Follow up

You will usually be seen after six weeks but will be seen earlier if there are any complications. It is important to realise that you will have to protect your back the rest of your life with good back habits. See the section on exercises to see what you can do to keep your back healthy.