Can Medial Branch Blocks Help Me Delay or Prevent Spinal Fusion?

Spinal fusion can help alleviate chronic pain and instability when you’re faced with a stubborn condition. But what if you could delay or prevent the need for such a surgery?

In some cases, medial branch nerve blocks accomplish just that. This minimally invasive treatment takes only 30 minutes and brings significant pain relief to most patients.

Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, offers medial branch nerve blocks as a minimally invasive way to ease chronic and severe pain.

Here’s a closer look at medial branch nerve blocks, including how they might keep you from going under the knife to find relief.

Understanding spinal fusion

Spinal fusion permanently fuses two or more vertebrae, the small bones in your spine. This reduces movement between them for greater stability and less back pain or neck pain.

Your doctor may recommend spinal fusion if you have:

Degenerative disc disease
Herniated discs
Osteoarthritis
Scoliosis
Spinal infection or tumor
Spinal stenosis
Spondylolisthesis
Vertebral fracture or trauma

Good candidates for spinal fusion have chronic or severe spinal pain or instability that hasn’t responded to more conservative treatment, such as oral pain medication, rest, epidural injections, and physical therapy.

How medial branch nerve blocks work

During the medial branch nerve block procedure, we inject a small amount of local anesthetic, usually with a corticosteroid, near your medial branch nerves. These nerves, located in the facet joints of your spine, transmit pain signals to your brain. Blocking these signals gives you targeted pain relief.

When medial branch nerve blocks delay or prevent spinal fusion

Whether or not a medial branch nerve block delays or prevents the need for spinal fusion depends on how your body responds. If, following one or more injections, you experience significant and lasting pain relief, you may not need the surgery.

If your pain returns after days, weeks, or months, you can still have the nerve block for temporary pain relief leading up to spinal fusion. The block can also serve as a diagnostic tool or to guide a less invasive surgical alternative, such as radiofrequency ablation.

Getting the relief you need

Most acute and chronic conditions affecting your spine are treatable. And the sooner you seek appropriate care, the better off you’ll be.

To learn more about medial branch nerve blocks or find out if you’re a good candidate, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.

Following an exam and any needed imaging tests, we can customize an effective treatment plan based on your symptoms, overall health, and preferences.