Has anyone had success with Intercostal Nerve Blocks?

Hi, @luvrofthelord - Hoping things are going well today as you prepare for your nerve block injection.

I'd like to tag members such as @dlydailyhope @calmmylife57 @babette @jfsherley @grandmar @jmweissler and others will chime in about their experiences with nerve blocks, and especially if they helped with rib pain.

How are you feeling this morning as you approach your nerve block, luvrofthelord, pain-wise, and emotionally?

Thank you so much for responding, asking how I was feeling and moving my post so it might get responses. I have had so many procedures on y spine and back that I am not worried, just praying this procedure might be the miracle that would alleviate some of my pain. I have had 6 spinal surgeries, too many epidurals, nerve root blocks, facet joint injections, ablations to count over the past 20 years not to mention a spinal cord stimulator that was implanted this January. Nothing is helping so I am trusting God that this might be the thing that will help. Yesterday in my adult Sunday School class one of the women came up to me and told me she also had a spinal cord stimulator implanted and it didn't work so she had it removed then she had the intercostal nerve blocks and they didn't work either plus numerous other procedures but no spinal surgeries. I asked her how she is now and she said she lives in great pain every day and takes 900mg of Neurontin along with meloxicam daily just to function and has done that for the past 10 years. She was originally on 1200mg of Neurontin but has cut back to 900mg recently. It sure isn't fun to have constant pain but things could be worse when you look around and see what others are suffering. So I am so grateful for each and every day God gives me. He is the one who is in control of whether or not these procedures work not the doctors. So I sit back, do what I can and leave the rest in His ever capable hands. Bless you again for responding.

@luvrofthelord I hope and pray the merge block works for you. Please keep us posted.

@luvrofthelord
Your body has been through a lot of procedures and treatmens and that has an emotional, pyschological and physical toll on your mind and body. I am so sorry you have been through so much, have you, or would you try cousellling to support you through? I hope you are getting some form of relief and comfort as chronic and nerve pain is debilitating and soul destroying, while you wait for a treatment to ease your rib pain.

The lumbosacral spondyilosis with radiculopathy, cervical radiculopathy, and fibromyalgia I have was brought on after a head on collision car accident in January 2013, the consultant said it brought it on 5 years earlier than it would have happened, aslo hypermobility. I have had 6-8, 1 per year, root nerve blocks in my lumbar spine, they did give me pain relief for around 4-5 months. The first two did take a few hours recovery time, and that did scare me a bit as the second time it took several hours for my left leg to have full mobility again. The last injection I had in 2024 went wrong and caused swelling of my left leg, reddening and swelling of my skin, and the pain was excruitiating, so I refused to have anymore.

I asked my consultant for acupuncture, and asked if there was any safer alternatives and he referred me to hydro therapy which was great. The first time I really needed it as my nerve pain in my lower back, left leg was horrific and I could not work. It restricted my life so much and could not cope with the pain. The acupuncture reduced my pain by 50%, it was only temporary but I understand that all the treatments I have will only ever give me temporary relief. I use Pregablin 25mg, 2 four times a day as any more gives me terrible migraines, also Co- codamol when it gets unbearable,but I do have a high pain threshold. I live in the UK so my healthcare is free. The treatments I pay for is massage, the acupunture now, the first two rounds were free on the NHS, and so was the hydro therapy. I use gummy bears the high concentrated ones, anything that helps that isn't drugs if I can help it.

I have practiced yoga and meditation for 20 years now, and stress levels and pain. I also do Qigong because it's gentle and both help to keep my muscles and bones strong and my joints and liagments flexible. I use a walking aid and a carer comes to my home 3 times a week, I have had adaptions made to my home, such as a bath lift, hand grips and rails. toilet seat with hand rail, perching stool to cook with, egonomic cook ware and accessories. They are all tools to support me to remain independent, as I live alone and am single. It' very challenging but I love life and I'm not letting my condition's take over my life and isolate me.

I am now under the pain managment team at The Royal Orthopeadic Hospital, and the one consultant advised physio for my neck as injections and surgery would be too risky and also will be having somatic therapies as they know I won't take any new drugs. The team is very supportive and they listen, something that never happened in the early days as I fought to get a diagnosis.

I wish you comfort and peace, and pray God answers your prays! 🙂

I've been watching your post with interest. I hope you will return to answer your own question with wonderful results to report.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/

@calmmylife57 It seems that you too have been through many procedures to alleviate your pain. I am waiting to see if the intercostal nerve block might work. In the research I did it says it can take up to 10 days for the steroids to begin working so once again I am in a waiting pattern. I did have to take 1/3 of a pain pill when I got home from Bible Study today as I stayed after for about a half an hour chatting with some of the other women and I was standing the whole time and I was in extreme pain. I was so glad to get home and get into a chair and lean back and that took the pressure off my ribs and the pain finally subsided. I have a good support system with my husband and my friends and so many praying for me. Whatever happens I know I am in God's hands and He is allowing it to happen for a reason and so I am OK with that. On Sunday I was able to talk with a long time friend from my Bible Study who just happened to be going through something similar for the past 10 years and had also had a spinal cord stimulator implanted as well as having the Intercostal nerve root blocks and epidurals etc. and she didn't have success with any of the procedures. She also has the attitude that if this is God's will then she is OK with it. I did try Yoga, acupuncture, pool therapy, pilates and none of those things helped. Whatever is wrong doesn't show in x-rays, MRI's or CT scans so the doctor's are just trying whatever they can to get me out of pain. I try to not take more than 1/2 of a pain pill twice a week. I hate taking them at all but Tylenol and Alive just do not take any of the pain away. I have a reaction to the pain medication where I become very itchy (which my doctor tells me is common) so I stay away from them as much as possible.

I hope the pain management team at The Royal Orthopedic Hospital can come up with something that will help you and that you can move on with your life and not be hindered with pain. May God Bless you and help you become pain free.

@gently I wish I had wonderful results to report but not yet. I am still hoping and praying that within the next 8 days I will feel a big change and won't have to go the next step and have the peripheral nerve stimulator implanted. We will see what happens but I won't give up trying to get out of pain. I would love to have a pain free day, week, month, year or years but that is up to the Lord so I will wait on Him. In the meantime I am just grateful that I have hours out of every day and night when I am not in pain and that is more than many have, so I am very Blessed.

@luvrofthelord
Wishing you prays and success with you gaining freedom from pain, it is a very challenging journey navigating daily with chronic pain. Please be more compassionate to yourself and ask for a seat next time, if you get caught talking with anyone for a while instead of standing in pain, we have to be kind to ourselves. Keep us updated on your progression. I'm glad to here you have a support system that is so important for your wellbeing.

I hear you, in regards to the effects of pin mediciation, as I have taken so many different ones over the years and experienced the negative side effects.

My pain will never stop due to the denegeration of my discs and impingement of the nerve, and the fibromyalgia. I will continue to use the whole body approach using pain meds, exercise, holistic treatments, good nutrition, therapy, doing hobbies I love and going for walks in nature. The latter I find reduces my pain considerably, as being in nature is medicine for me.

Wishing you comfort and peace.