Cervical Medial Branch Block in Palm Coast, FL

Before any neck joint gets treated, it has to be established that the joint you suspect is really the one producing the pain — and this is the procedure that asks.

What it treats

A cervical medial branch block investigates pain arising from the small paired joints along the back of the neck:

It fits pain that stays in the neck and shoulders instead of running down an arm, and worsens when you turn your head or look up.

How it works

Running down each side of your cervical spine are the facet joints, which guide and limit how far your neck turns. Each is supplied by small nerves called medial branches — one from the level above, one from below — carrying that joint’s pain signal toward the spinal cord. Bathing them in local anesthetic interrupts the signal from one identified joint and leaves everything else reporting normally.

What the test produces is information. If numbing a joint’s nerve supply takes away the pain you came in with, that joint is your source; if nothing changes, it isn’t, and the search moves on. At the top of the neck the test does double duty: the third occipital nerve, the branch serving the C2-3 joint, also relays sensation from the back of the head, so a clear response there can reveal that a headache begins at the skull base.

Dr. Manuel López, a board-certified pain management and rehabilitation physician, performs the block under precise image guidance, confirming the needle sits against the intended bony target before delivering a small volume of anesthetic. The targets are small and their neighbors are close, which is what the guidance is for.

What to expect

This is an outpatient procedure; you go home the same day.

• Before: you’re positioned so the side or back of the neck is accessible, and the skin is cleaned and numbed. You stay awake.
• During: Dr. López places thin needles at each targeted nerve under imaging and delivers a small amount of anesthetic at each.
• After: you’ll be asked to put the neck deliberately through the motions that normally provoke your pain — rotation, extension, sustained positions — and write down what each felt like.

Dr. López is less interested in whether you felt better generally than in whether those specific motions stopped hurting, and for how long.

Is it right for you?

You’re likely a candidate if:

• Your pain stays in the neck, the shoulders, or the base of the skull rather than traveling into an arm
• Turning your head or arching it back reproduces it
• Imaging shows wear in the neck joints without making clear which level is symptomatic
• You want the diagnosis settled before considering anything longer-lasting

Because this involves needles placed near the spine, blood thinners, a bleeding disorder, or an active infection have to be worked through before scheduling. Come with your medication list and any imaging; whether the test is worth doing now is something Dr. López can answer once he’s seen both.

Confirm the joint before you treat it

A guess about which joint is at fault only produces a guess about what to do next.

Call (386) 222-7746 or request an appointment.