One of the commitments our Maverick Medical Education team has made is to train medical professionals in pain management solutions that do not involve prescribing opioids. With more in the medical industry being taught a variety of solutions, including how to effectively administer nerve blocks, we can help our patients have better outcomes and put them at less risk for addiction. Is a nerve block really as good of a solution as we claim? With the way a nerve block works and the reduction in side effects, it is a great solution for a number of reasons.
Duration
There are a number of different nerve blocks that can be performed, both surgical and non-surgical. For the purposes here, focusing on non-surgical nerve blocks, where medication is injected around a nerve or a cluster of nerves is helpful. According to healthline.com, “ a nerve block can last anywhere from 12 to 36 hours depending on the type used.” Nerve blocks can be administered before a procedure to allow for surgery to take place or in recovery to allow therapy and healing to be easier for the patient. Additionally, a nerve catheter can be left in place to allow for continuous pain relief for a longer period of time. Surgical nerve blocks, where nerves are severed or destroyed in another way, to prevent the nerve from passing along pain impulses, can be permanent. In some cases, the nerve endings can repair themselves.
Side Effects
Nerve blocks are, in general, a safe choice for many patients. It is more likely that the nerve block, if performed incorrectly, will not work to relieve or prevent pain. Occasionally, the injection won’t target the exact nerve block needed or the patient may feel an overdose, preventing feeling from coming back to the desired area. Some bruising, slight bleeding, and tenderness is a common side effect like with any injection. If a patient is having an out-patient procedure they will need to exercise caution when returning to regular activities as their effected area may continue to feel numb which increases their chance of hurting or injuring that area.
Courses
Maverick Medical Education has a number of courses that teach different nerve blocks to assist the patients in your practice. Both our Essentials and Advanced Anesthesia Courses help train medical professionals on types of nerve blocks, anatomical markers for proper placement, and when to best use the nerve blocks on a patient. Once students meet in person for lab time, they will have the background information and content needed from our online course modules already completed. This frees up the lab time for repetition under the observation of our Maverick Instructors, gaining expertise in every aspect of performing nerve blocks perfectly.
To learn more about nerve blocks, sign up for our courses, to better serve your practice and the patients in your community. Our medical courses will help you provide them with relief and will help them resume their day-to-day as quickly as possible.
