Nerve Block Injections

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Ongoing nerve pain can be difficult to live with, especially when it affects your sleep, movement, work or confidence in everyday life. If you are looking for clear answers or a more focused pain management plan, we can help you understand whether a nerve block injection may be an appropriate pain relief.

A nerve block injection is given close to a nerve or group of nerves and may contain local anaesthetic, with or without steroid medication, to help reduce pain signals and inflammation around the affected area.

Midland Health offers private pain management consultations in Birmingham to discuss nerve block injections to treat your pain. You don’t need a GP referral, and we don’t have a waiting list: simply book online or over the phone.

How We Can Help With Nerve Pain

Our nerve block injection service is designed for people living with ongoing pain where a targeted injection may support diagnosis, pain management or rehabilitation planning. We know pain can feel exhausting when it keeps interrupting normal life. Our consultations are designed to give you the time to explain how it is affecting you and make a recommendation that is appropriate for your condition.

Nerve root blocks may be used to support pain relief, help identify a possible source of pain, or form part of a wider care plan alongside approaches such as physiotherapy or rehabilitation.

Do I Need an Appointment?

An assessment may be suitable if you have ongoing pain that has not settled with initial treatment, or if your clinician needs to understand whether a specific nerve is contributing to your symptoms. You may already know the name of your condition, or you may simply know that your pain feels nerve-related.

Book an appointment to discuss nerve block injections if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

  • Ongoing nerve-type pain, such as burning, shooting, tingling or electric-shock sensations
  • Sciatica-type pain or pain that travels from your back into your leg
  • Persistent spinal, pelvic, rib, facial, head, neck, knee or limb pain where nerve involvement is suspected
  • Pain that is affecting movement, sleep, work or rehabilitation
  • Symptoms where a diagnostic injection may help clarify the source of pain

Nerve root block injections are commonly used around nerves leaving the spine and may be considered for leg pain, sciatica-type symptoms or pins and needles where clinically appropriate. 

Your Assessment and Treatment Plan

Your clinician will understand your symptoms and consider whether a nerve block injection could:

  • Help reduce pain signals from a suspected nerve source
  • Support diagnosis by showing whether a targeted nerve is contributing to your pain
  • Reduce inflammation around an irritated nerve
  • Help you engage more comfortably with rehabilitation or physiotherapy
  • Reduce reliance on pain medication, where clinically appropriate

The response to a nerve block can vary from person to person, so your clinician will explain what is realistic for your symptoms and what follow-up may be needed. 

What to Expect at Your Appointment

Before your appointment

You are welcome to bring a list of your current medicines. 

Please tell us if you are taking blood thinners, have diabetes, have allergies, are pregnant or may be pregnant, feel unwell, or have an infection. This helps your clinician plan your care safely.

Consultation

Your doctor will begin with a careful assessment of your history and symptoms. We’ll discuss your diagnosis, any previous treatments, and what you're hoping to achieve. 

If a nerve block injection is considered appropriate, we'll explain exactly what will be involved, which medication may be used, and what to expect during and after the procedure.

The injection itself

If you're having the injection on the same day, you'll be made comfortable in a clinical treatment room. The skin over the joint will be cleaned, and a local anaesthetic may be applied first. 

Your clinician will administer the injection. Depending on the area, they may use ultrasound to help position the injection accurately. You may feel pressure, tightness or brief discomfort.

The procedure typically takes only a few minutes.

After the injection

You may be monitored for a short while before leaving, and you will be given advice about what to expect at home. Your follow-up plan may include reviewing your response, adjusting your wider pain management plan or supporting your rehabilitation. 

Recovery and What To Expect Over Time

Nerve block injections are not a permanent solution for most conditions, and you may need to return for repeat treatment. How long a nerve block takes to work, how long the effects last and the number of injections you will be able to have varies from person to person. It depends on a variety of factors, including the nerves involved, the underlying condition, and the type of medication used. 

Some people notice improvement within a few days; for others it may take one to two weeks for the full effect to become apparent.

Where injections do provide meaningful relief, they can create a window in which physiotherapy, exercise, or other rehabilitation may become more achievable. This is often where the most lasting benefit comes from. If a course of injections is appropriate for your situation, your consultant will discuss this with you and make a plan that fits around your lifestyle.

Types of Nerve Block Injections we may Recommend

The type of nerve block injection we recommend will depend on the area you are feeling pain in, as this may affect the dosage and the medication used.

Type of nerve blockTarget areaCommonly used for
Occipital nerve blocksThe occipital nerves at the back of the scalp and upper neckScalp pain, pain at the back of the head, or certain headache patterns
Genicular nerve blocksThe genicular nerves: small sensory nerves around the knee jointAssessing or reducing knee pain
Intercostal nerve blocksThe intercostal nerves: the nerves that run underneath each ribRib, chest wall, or upper abdominal pain
Lumbar sympathetic blocksThe lumbar sympathetic chain: “fight-or-flight” nerves in the lower back that influence the legs and feetLeg or foot pain linked to abnormal sympathetic nerve activity
Pudendal nerve blocksThe pudendal nerve: a major pelvic nerve serving the “saddle area,” including the perineum, genitals, anus, and pelvic floorPelvic, genital, anal, perineal, or pelvic floor pain
Stellate ganglion blocksThe stellate ganglion: a sympathetic nerve hub in the lower front of the neckPain, circulation symptoms, or nerve-related symptoms affecting the head, neck, chest, or arm
Trigeminal nerve blocksThe trigeminal nerve: the main facial sensation nerve, with branches to the forehead, cheek, jaw, and teethFacial pain, including pain in one or more trigeminal nerve branches
Nerve root blocksA spinal nerve root: a nerve as it exits the spine, sometimes described as a “pinched nerve” targetPain travelling from the neck or back into an arm or leg
Facet joint blocksThe facet joints: small stabilising joints at the back of the spine, sometimes called “spinal hinge joints”Neck, mid-back, or lower-back pain thought to come from the facet joints
Sacroiliac joint blocksThe sacroiliac joint: the joint linking the lower spine to the pelvis, often called the SI jointLower-back, buttock, hip, or groin pain linked to the SI joint

These are examples only. Any treatment we recommend will depend on your symptoms, medical history, examination findings and clinical suitability.

Your Consultant

Dr Arasu Rayen — Consultant in Pain Management

Dr Arasu Rayen is a Consultant in Pain Management with over 20 years of experience treating chronic pain conditions, including neuropathic, spinal and complex regional pain. He practises at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and privately across the West Midlands. 

Dr Rayen specialises in techniques including ultrasound-guided nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation, and holds an MSc in Pain Management with Fellowships in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine. 

Pricing

We believe pricing should be clear before you decide whether to go ahead.

New Appointment with Pain Management Consultant

£300

(30 min)

Follow Up Appointment

£200

Nerve Block Injection

£1350

(procedure £1150 plus £200 follow up appointment fee)

If your clinician recommends further investigations, imaging, follow-up care or a different treatment route, this will be explained before you make a decision.

Our Clinic

Your appointment will take place at our Francis Road Clinic in Edgbaston, Birmingham, just a short distance from Birmingham City Centre.

We are close to Five Ways train station, accessible by bus, tram, or train. If you're driving, patients can use the Broadway Plaza car park free of charge for up to 2 hours when their vehicle registration is validated at Midland Health reception.

No matter where you're coming from, we aim to make your journey to our clinic as smooth and convenient as possible so you can focus on getting the care you need.

Why Choose Midland Health for Nerve Block Injections?

Choosing where to have a nerve block injection is about more than access. You need to feel confident that your symptoms will be assessed carefully and that treatment will only be recommended where it is appropriate.

We understand that ongoing pain can make decisions feel harder. Our approach is calm, direct and focused on helping you understand your options.

With Midland Health, you benefit from:

● No GP referral required, so you can book directly
● No waiting lists for private assessment
● Same-day or next-day appointments where available
● A private Birmingham clinic with specialist consultation rooms
● Assessment-led care with time to discuss your concerns
● Access to clinicians experienced in pain management and joint-related symptoms
● Clear pricing before treatment is arranged
● Support with onward referrals where another service is more appropriate

Reviews

Book an Appointment for Nerve Block Injections

You can book directly with our team without needing a GP referral. We offer private appointments in Birmingham, with no waiting lists and same-day or next-day appointments, where available.

Your first step is a consultation to understand your pain, review your options and decide whether a nerve block injection is clinically suitable for you.

FAQs

Common side effects can include mild tenderness or bruising at the injection site

Less common risks can include:

  • Temporary numbness or weakness
  • Infection
  • Bleeding
  • Allergic reaction
  • Nerve injury.

Your clinician will talk you through relevant risks and their likelihood before treatment.

You must inform your clinician if you take blood-thinning medication, such as aspirin or clopidogrel. You may need specific advice before any procedure is arranged.

Please tell your clinician if you have diabetes. Steroid medication can affect blood sugar levels, so your clinician will discuss any monitoring or preparation that may be needed.

There is no single answer that applies to everyone. Repeat injections are only considered where clinically appropriate, based on your symptoms, response, risks and wider pain management plan.

Please contact us before attending if you feel unwell, have an infection, are taking antibiotics, or your health has changed. Your clinician may advise rearranging the appointment if that is safer.

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Dr Rupa Parmar

Medically Verified

This content has been medically reviewed and verified by Dr Rupa Parmar.

Medical note: This page provides general information and is not a substitute for urgent medical care. If you have severe symptoms, seek urgent help.

Last updated: Sep 2026