Inspired by recent NICE guidance, here at the London Pain Clinic, in this article, our Pain Doctors review spinal cord stimulators and nerve block implants. – Options that can potentially be used for chronic pain sufferers who have not had sufficient relief from pharmaceuticals.
Nerve Blocks For Pain Relief
Nerve blocks refer to popular short in-clinic procedures. They “can help people who have chronic pain or injuries (in which the nerves are damaged, inflamed, or irritated), function better in their daily lives, thereby allowing them to go to work, exercise, & do daily tasks. They are often injections of medicines that block pain from specific nerves. They can be used for pain relief as well as for surgery” [1], & often form part of a patient’s Holistic Personalised Treatment Plan.
Multiple Uses of Nerve Blocks
Nerve blocks are regularly administered by our Pain Doctors in order to manage different forms of spinal pain, in addition to debilitating pain that emanates from the buttocks, neck, legs or arms. Here at the London Pain Clinic, we offer nerve blocks for the following conditions:
- Low back pain
- Arthritis pain
- Delivery and labour pain
- Post-surgery pain
- Cancer-linked pain
- Intense facial pain (including trigeminal neuralgia)
- Migraine (including occipital neuralgia)
- CRPS (chronic regional pain syndrome)
Your Pain Specialist will administer the nerve block and anaesthetic via needles. They may also use an ultrasound, fluoroscope, and if necessary, a CT scan, in order to ensure the needle is injected into the exact location where it is required. Your Pain Doctor may also employ low level electrical stimulation in order to detect the exact nerve/s which is/are generating the pain. The guided images and needles are utilised to inject anti-inflammatory or pain-ameliorating drugs around a single nerve or set of nerves. This will alleviate the inflammation or numb the region [1].
Spinal Cord Stimulators For Pain Relief
“Spinal cord stimulation can improve overall quality of life and sleep, and reduce the need for pain medicines. It is typically used along with other pain management treatments” [1], such as those provided by our Pain Specialists
This implanted medical device describes a stimulator that transmits low levels of electric current directly into the patient’s spinal cord. It is mainly used in cases where non-surgical pain options have not been successful. Having a spinal cord stimulator necessitates undergoing two processes to test and implant the device: the trial and the insertion.
So How Does a Spinal Cord Stimulator Work?
Whilst at the present time, Pain Specialists and scientists do not fully comprehend how the mechanisms behind this devise work in the way that they do, research does nonetheless, indicate that that: “it may target multiple muscle groups directly from the spine and even alter how the brain senses pain” [2].
Spinal cord stimulators comprise:
- Electrodes (fine wires), and
- A generator (a small, pacemaker-style battery pack) [2]
The electrodes are inserted in what is known as the epidural space (this is a small area between the vertebrae and the spinal cord). And the generator is implanted under the patient’s skin, (this is normally close to the buttocks or abdomen).
Did You Know?
Spinal cord stimulators empower users to control and send electrical impulses via a remote control whenever they are in pain. (The remote control along with its antenna are outside the patient’s body).
As our Pain Consultants regularly explain: conventional spinal cord stimulators replace the users’ pain sensations with a feeling of light tingling. However, if patients find this uncomfortable, they may be offered the latest device models, which unlike the former, generate ‘sub-perception’ stimulation that will not feel [2].
References
[1]. John Hopkins Medicine (2025). “Nerve Blocks.”
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/nerve-blocks
[2]. Sivanesan, Eellan (2025). “Spinal Cord Stimulator.” John Hopkins Medicine
