Genicular Nerve Block
What is a genicular nerve block?
The knee is a complex joint, pain, from which, is carried by a network of femoral, common peroneal, saphenous, tibial, and obturator nerves. These nerves that relay pain signals that originate in different areas of your knee are known as genicular nerves.
A genicular nerve block is a minimally invasive procedure (an injection) used to relieve pain caused by a variety of chronic pain conditions such as osteoarthritis (wear and tear) in the knees, pain following knee replacement surgery, chronic knee pain in people who are not fit for surgery and chronic knee pain in individuals who do not want surgery.
What should I expect during a knee genicular nerve block?
At Atlas Pain Care, Coimbatore, you will be asked to change into a hospital gown and taken to our procedure room. You will be positioned in a manner where you will lie on your back with a pillow positioned under the knee for comfort. Your knee will be cleaned with antiseptic solution and draped. The injection site is then identified using an ultrasound or X-ray and a small amount of local anaesthetic is injected into the skin overlying the injection site to numb the skin. The medications are then given through a longer needle that has been positioned in the exact spot using ultrasound or X-ray guidance. You will require a total of three injections outside the joint, which is all done in a single sitting. You may feel some discomfort during the injection, but this normally settles quickly. The whole procedure takes between 15 and 30 minutes.
How long does the pain relief with genicular nerve block last and what are the complications?
Pain relief usually lasts for 3 to 6 months, but there is significant variability from patient to patient. If you do have a good response for 6 months and above and the pain comes back, the procedure could be repeated. The side effects with repeated injections are minimal as the injection is done outside the knee joint rather than the common practice of injecting steroids inside the knee joint. Injection site pain/soreness, bruising are the most common side effects with Genicular nerve blocks and these effects are temporary. Serious complications are very rare. When the pain relief is good, but is short-lived, cooled radiofrequency lesioning of the genicular nerves could be performed with lasting effects.
Please read our FAQ section to know more about the do's and don'ts prior to and after the procedure.