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Nerve Root / Selective Nerve Blocks

Nerve Root | Selective Nerve Blocks in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ

When nerve-related spine pain is properly diagnosed and treated, everyday movement can start to feel more manageable again. Nerve root blocks, also called selective nerve root blocks, may help patients move toward relief from pain that travels from the neck into the arm or from the lower back into the buttock, hip, or leg, making it easier to sit, stand, work, travel, sleep, stay active with family and friends, and return to the routines that make life enjoyable.

Nerve root blocks are targeted, image-guided treatments used to address pain and inflammation around a specific spinal nerve root. This type of irritation may be caused by conditions such as a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, bone spurs, or narrowing where a nerve exits the spine. At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, selective nerve root blocks may be recommended when pain appears to be coming from a specific irritated nerve in the neck, mid back, or lower back.

Our approach centers on opioid-free, interventional pain care with a strong focus on education, outcomes, and restored quality of life. Patients are cared for by Dr. Milind Patel, Dr. Jill Kalariya, and our interventional pain management team through a concierge, white-glove model designed to restore quality of life without opioids. Relief should not feel like another complicated medical process. Our team works to reduce delays, simplify next steps, and help patients move toward a clear plan for less pain and better function.

To find out whether nerve root blocks may help reduce neck, back, arm, or leg pain, call Peak Spine & Sports Medicine at (833) 377-7325 or conveniently request an appointment online today. Telehealth consults are available for convenience when appropriate. We proudly serve patients in Marlton, Haddonfield, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and surrounding communities.

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What Are Nerve Root / Selective Nerve Blocks?

Nerve root blocks are targeted injections used to diagnose and treat pain that may be coming from a specific inflamed or irritated spinal nerve.

A spinal nerve root is the part of a nerve that branches away from the spinal cord and exits through small openings in the spine. When a nerve root becomes irritated by inflammation, pressure, or narrowing, pain can travel along the path of that nerve. This may cause pain that moves from the lower back into the buttock, hip, or leg, or from the neck into the shoulder, arm, or hand.

A selective nerve root block is called “selective” because the injection is directed toward one specific nerve root. This can make the procedure especially useful when symptoms, imaging, or exam findings suggest that one nerve may be playing a major role in the patient’s pain.

During a nerve root block, a physician uses live X-ray guidance to place medication near the targeted spinal nerve root. At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, this may include local anesthetic and, when appropriate, anti-inflammatory steroid medication.

This allows the injection to help:

  • Calm inflammation around an irritated spinal nerve root
  • Reduce pain that travels into the arm or leg
  • Help confirm whether a specific nerve root is a meaningful source of pain
  • Support a broader treatment plan when nerve pain is one part of a larger pain pattern
  • Improve comfort with movement

Nerve root blocks are closely related to epidural steroid injections. Both procedures may be used for nerve-related pain, but a selective nerve root block is designed to target a specific nerve root more directly. If a patient’s pain pattern suggests another source, such as the facet joints, muscle tissue, or a peripheral joint, our physician may discuss other options such as epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, medial branch blocks, trigger point injections, joint injections, or another interventional treatment.

Nerve root blocks are most often used for pain related to a specific irritated or inflamed spinal nerve. This type of pain may be called radicular pain, radiculopathy, or sciatica, depending on where it occurs and which nerve is involved.

Patients may benefit from an evaluation for nerve root blocks if they have:

  • Low back pain that travels into the buttock, hip, or leg
  • Neck pain that travels into the shoulder, arm, or hand
  • Sciatica or shooting leg pain
  • Pain related to a herniated disc
  • Pain related to spinal stenosis
  • Pain related to degenerative disc disease
  • Pain from narrowing around a specific nerve root
  • Numbness or tingling associated with nerve irritation
  • Pain that worsens with sitting, standing, walking, or certain positions
  • Pain that has not improved enough with rest, activity changes, therapy, or conservative care

Nerve root blocks are not the right treatment for every type of spine pain. For example, pain that appears to come from the facet joints may be better evaluated with facet joint injections or medial branch blocks. Pain that is primarily muscle-related may be better evaluated with trigger point injections. This is why Peak Spine & Sports Medicine begins with a thorough evaluation rather than a one-size-fits-all recommendation.

Nerve root blocks work by delivering medication near a specific irritated spinal nerve root.

When a disc, bone spur, narrowed spinal canal, or other spinal condition irritates a nerve root, the area can become inflamed and painful. This may cause pain that travels along the nerve path into the arm, hand, buttock, hip, or leg. In some cases, patients may also experience numbness, tingling, or weakness.

During the procedure, the physician uses a live X-ray machine, called fluoroscopy, to guide the needle to the appropriate target. Once the needle is positioned near the selected nerve root, the physician injects a small amount of medication. This may include local anesthetic to help reduce pain and, when appropriate, anti-inflammatory steroid medication to calm inflammation around the nerve root.

The response to the injection can be useful in two ways. If pain improves, it may help confirm that the targeted nerve root is contributing to the patient’s symptoms. At the same time, the anti-inflammatory medication may help calm irritation around the nerve so the patient can move more comfortably.

At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, this process is not treated as a routine checkbox. The team evaluates the full pain pattern, reviews imaging when appropriate, considers whether a specific nerve root is involved, and customizes the treatment plan based on the patient’s anatomy, symptoms, pain pattern, response to the injection, and goals.

Nerve root blocks are usually brief outpatient procedures, but at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, the experience begins well before the injection itself. Our team confirms the treatment area, reviews the purpose of the injection, and explains what the procedure is designed to show, treat, and help clarify.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine performs nerve root blocks using national guideline-based techniques. Following nationally recognized guidelines helps ensure the right nerve root is targeted, the patient’s response is interpreted accurately, and any next step is based on reliable information rather than guesswork with safety and efficacy in mind.

Prior to treatment, our physicians will ask about a patient’s usual pain level, where they feel it, and which movements or positions tend to bring it on. This helps establish a clear starting point, so the response after the injection can be measured in a meaningful way. For some patients, that may mean sitting longer, walking farther, standing more comfortably, sleeping better, driving with less pain, or moving through a workday with less interruption.

During the procedure, the team keeps the process calm, precise, and organized:

  • Patients are positioned carefully, so the treatment area can be accessed safely.
  • The skin is cleaned and numbed.
  • A live X-ray machine is used to identify the proper target for injection.
  • Patients are given local anesthetic to numb the area.
  • Our physician places the needle near the targeted spinal nerve root.
  • Patients are monitored before going home with clear aftercare instructions.
  • A small amount of local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroid medication is delivered to the treatment area.

This allows nerve root blocks to serve both a diagnostic and therapeutic purpose. The local anesthetic can help confirm whether a specific nerve root is a likely source of pain, while the anti-inflammatory medication may help calm irritation in the area.

This is where Peak Spine & Sports Medicine’s interventional approach matters. The procedure is not performed by feel or guesswork. Imaging guidance allows our physician to confirm placement, make adjustments when necessary, and treat the suspected pain source with a high level of accuracy.

Many patients return to light activity the same day or the next day, depending on their physician’s instructions and how they feel.

Some patients notice improvement quickly because of the local anesthetic. If anti-inflammatory steroid medication is included, additional relief may develop over the next several days. Mild soreness near the injection site can happen and usually fades without issue. For most patients, the only post-procedure limitation is no standing water such as pool, jacuzzi, or ocean for 24-48 hours after the procedure. Showers are not limited in any way.

What makes recovery at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine different is the level of attention given to what happens next. A patient’s response to the injection helps guide the larger treatment plan, so the team does not treat recovery as an afterthought. Patients may be asked to track how their pain changes, how long relief lasts, and whether they are able to do specific activities that normally aggravate their symptoms.

The team may ask:

  • Did the patient’s usual nerve pain improve?
  • How much relief did the patient feel?
  • Were they able to sit, stand, walk, travel, work, exercise, sleep, or move more comfortably?
  • Did the injection help leg or arm pain more than back or neck pain?
  • Did the pain return in the same pattern or in a different way?
  • How long did the relief last?

These details help our physician determine whether the targeted nerve root is likely contributing to the pain and whether the treatment plan should include continued conservative care, therapy referral, another injection when appropriate, or a different interventional option.

At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, the procedure is one part of a broader plan. The team uses patient response to refine the next step, adjust the strategy, and keep treatment focused on what matters most: helping them move better and return to the parts of life they have been missing.

Relief from nerve root blocks varies. Some patients experience short-term relief that helps confirm whether a specific nerve root is involved. Others may notice a longer period of improvement, especially when the injection is combined with better movement, strengthening, therapy, activity changes, or treatment of an underlying pain source.

For many patients, the most important value of a selective nerve root block is the information it provides. If the injection produces significant relief, the physician may have more confidence that the targeted nerve root is contributing to the pain. That information can help guide the next step in treatment.

If symptoms return quickly or do not improve as expected, our physician may reassess the diagnosis and consider whether the pain is being driven by another source, such as the facet joints, muscles, peripheral joints, or a deeper structural issue.

Why Choose Peak Spine & Sports Medicine for Nerve Root Blocks?

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine was built around a simple standard: this should be the kind of pain management practice we would want our own family members to visit.

Initial consultations at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine are designed to be thorough, personal, and highly focused. The team takes time to understand where the pain is coming from, how it affects daily life, what has already been tried, and what activities the patient needs to return to.

For one person, the priority may be sitting comfortably at a desk. For another, it may be walking through an airport, playing with grandchildren, getting through a golf trip, returning to work, exercising, or sleeping through the night. Those details matter because they shape the order, timing, and structure of the treatment plan.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine offers:

  • Concierge, white-glove pain management care
  • A non-opioid approach to pain care
  • Ivy League trained professionals
  • Double board-certified pain management physicians
  • Cutting-edge interventional techniques and technology
  • Live X-ray guidance for precision and safety
  • Guideline-based nerve root block procedures
  • Telehealth consults when appropriate
  • A helpful staff that works to reduce the burden on patients
  • Insurance access for eligible PPO/POS patients with out-of-network benefits

Care is led by Dr. Milind Patel and Dr. Jill Kalariya, double board-certified pain management physicians who perform advanced interventional procedures in the outpatient surgery center. Brian Brown, PA supports patients through conservative care, diagnostic workups, imaging coordination, therapy recommendations, and follow-up planning, helping each patient move through care with clarity.

Our practice is selective with insurance because the model is built around quality, not volume. We work for the patient, not the insurance company. That gives the team more time to listen, explain, coordinate care, and work for the patient rather than designing the visit around an insurance company’s schedule.

Visit our Why Choose Us page to learn more.

How Much Do Nerve Root Blocks Cost in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ?

The cost of nerve root blocks depends on the treatment plan, the area of the spine treated, the number of nerve roots targeted, the facility, and insurance benefits.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine primarily works with patients who have PPO or POS insurance plans with out-of-network benefits. The practice is out of network for most insurance plans, which allows the team to maintain a smaller, more personalized model with longer visits, tailored treatment plans, more education, and less pressure to rush patients through care.

Many patients are surprised to learn that out-of-network care with PPO/POS plan benefits are typically much more accessible than they expected. The Peak Spine & Sports Medicine team can help review benefits, explain the process, and determine whether the practice is a good fit.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine does not participate with EPO, HMO, Medicare, or Medicaid plans. This allows our office to see our new and existing patients quickly.

Patients visit Peak Spine & Sports Medicine in Marlton and Collingswood from Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and surrounding areas because they want high-level interventional pain care without an opioid-first approach.

Nerve root blocks are commonly performed pain management procedures, but every procedure carries some risk. Possible side effects may include temporary soreness, bruising, bleeding, infection, allergic reaction, temporary numbness, headache, temporary increase in pain, or lack of meaningful pain relief.

Safety depends on careful patient selection, sterile technique, accurate needle placement, and appropriate follow-up. At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, nerve root blocks are performed with live X-ray guidance, so the physician can see the treatment area in real time and confirm placement before medication is delivered.

At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, we do not use opioids as a shortcut for pain care.

Our practice focuses on interventional procedures because many pain problems are focal. An irritated nerve root, disc issue, painful facet joint, muscle problem, or joint problem often requires a targeted solution. Medication taken by mouth circulates through the whole body. That can mean higher doses, more side effects, limited benefit, and no clear endpoint.

Interventional pain management is different. It is designed to identify the source of pain and treat it directly. For the right patient, nerve root blocks can provide useful diagnostic information, meaningful relief, and a path toward longer-term improvement and restored quality of life.

Schedule a Nerve Root Block Consultation in Marlton or Collingswood, NJ

Nerve pain should not decide how much life a patient gets to enjoy. Whether the goal is to sit through work, travel more comfortably, walk farther, exercise again, play with the kids or grandkids, sleep better, or simply move through the day with less pain, Peak Spine & Sports Medicine can help patients understand their options.

For nerve root blocks in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ, contact Peak Spine & Sports Medicine at (833) 377-7325 or schedule a consultation online today. Our team will help determine whether the pain pattern, goals, and insurance benefits make our concierge interventional pain model the right fit. We proudly serve patients in Marlton, Haddonfield, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and surrounding communities.

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Nerve Root Blocks Marlton, NJ – FAQs

Most patients tolerate the procedure well. The skin is numbed before the injection, and the physician uses image guidance to keep the procedure precise. Some pressure or brief discomfort may occur, but the procedure is usually quick.

Nerve root blocks are used to treat pain related to a specific irritated or inflamed spinal nerve root. They may be used for sciatica, arm pain, leg pain, cervical radiculopathy, lumbar radiculopathy, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, foraminal narrowing, or nerve-related pain that has not improved enough with conservative care.

They are closely related, but not always the same. Epidural steroid injections place medication into the epidural space to treat nerve inflammation. Selective nerve root blocks are directed toward a specific spinal nerve root. Our physician will recommend the appropriate treatment based on the source of pain.

No. Nerve root blocks target a specific irritated spinal nerve root. Facet joint injections treat pain that may be coming from the small joints of the spine. Our physician will recommend the appropriate treatment based on the source of pain.

Yes, nerve root blocks may be used when sciatica is related to inflammation or irritation around a specific spinal nerve root. The goal is to calm irritation near the nerve and help reduce pain traveling into the buttock, hip, or leg.

Yes, nerve root blocks may be used in the cervical spine when neck and arm pain appear to be related to a specific irritated or inflamed spinal nerve. Our physician will determine whether this approach is appropriate based on the patient’s symptoms, exam, imaging, and goals.

Some patients feel relief within a short period because of the local anesthetic. Anti-inflammatory steroid medication may take several days to provide additional relief. Our physician will explain what to track after the procedure, including how much relief is experienced and how long it lasts.

Relief varies. Some patients experience temporary relief that helps confirm whether a specific nerve root is involved, while others notice longer improvement when injections are combined with continued conservative care, therapy, activity changes, or treatment of an underlying condition.

If nerve root blocks improve the usual pain, our physician may use that information to guide the next step in the treatment plan. This may include continued conservative care, therapy referral, another injection when appropriate, or evaluation of other contributing pain sources.

If nerve root blocks do not improve the usual pain, that information is still useful. It may mean the targeted nerve root is not the primary pain source, and the team will reassess whether the pain may be coming from the facet joints, muscles, peripheral joints, or another structure.

Some patients benefit from therapy after pain is better controlled. Peak Spine & Sports Medicine does not provide physical therapy in-house, but the team may refer patients to outside physical therapy when strengthening, mobility, posture, or spinal support is part of the plan.

In many cases, yes. Telehealth consults may be available to help expedite evaluation, review symptoms, and determine whether an in-person exam or procedure consultation is appropriate.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine accepts insurance and primarily works with PPO and POS plans that have out-of-network benefits. The practice does not participate with EPO, HMO, Medicare, or Medicaid plans. The team can help patients determine whether their benefits may apply.