Chronic knee pain can limit your mobility, directly impacting your independence and quality of life. Activities you used to do without any problem now feel like a constant challenge, such as walking, climbing stairs, or even standing. However, struggling with those issues daily results in a stressful situation; therefore, at New York Pain Medicine Associates, we offer advanced and minimally invasive options, such as the Genicular Nerve Block, a procedure designed to relieve knee pain more precisely. This treatment is specially indicated for patients who haven’t found relief in conservative treatments or are bad candidates for surgical procedures.
Genicular nerve block is a minimally invasive and non-surgical procedure that works for diagnosing and treating knee pain. It consists of injecting a local anesthetic or an esteroid surrounding the genicular nerves to disrupt the pain signals that travel from the knee to the brain. Once pain signals are blocked, you can experience a reduction in pain and mobility improvement.
With respect to its diagnostic function, genicular nerve blocks permit doctors to determine if other nerve blockers will be beneficial in the long term; therefore, the procedure can be temporary, lasting a few weeks to months, and be enough for some patients. In other cases, after trying the procedure, the patient can notice if the pain decreases or if a next step is necessary, for example, a Radio Frequency Ablation.
Not all patients are good candidates for genicular nerve block. You may consider the treatment as an option if you are presenting:
The genicular nerve block is an ambulatory procedure that usually lasts less than 30 minutes; therefore, you will be awakened with local anesthesia for better comfort. Once the injection is applied, there is a short observation period before returning to your home to ensure the procedure was successful, and you don’t experience any secondary effects. Many patients notice pain relief in a few hours or days, which motivates them to resume their daily activities more easily. If you have experience with sports injuries, you should consider genicular nerve treatment to prevent future knee pain.
Through the genicular nerve block, you won’t only receive immediate relief, but also a key step to planning your strategy for pain management. When you can experience a reduction in pain, you can resume physical activity and strengthen the tissues in your knee, which improves your balance. Additionally, if your body responds well to the treatment, our specialists can design more precise treatments with higher success probabilities and avoid surgery and its recovery period.
At New York Pain Medicine Associates, we combine medical experience, interventional procedures, and comprehensive care for patients. Our physiatrists and pain management experts in Bayridge, Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Hempstead, New York, are committed to helping our patients find relief and regain control of their everyday lives with our personalized care. Schedule your appointment and be one of the patients who don’t struggle with knee pain due to the genicular nerve block.