Nerve Blocks & Interventional Injections

Bolest Brno's interventional algesiologists perform nerve blocks and targeted local injections as one of the most effective rapid-analgesic tools in pain medicine. The technique involves delivering a combination of modern local anaesthetics, long-acting depot corticosteroids and natural GUNA preparations directly to the target site — whether a specific nerve, nerve plexus, trigger point, joint space or epidural space. The effect is typically rapid and can provide meaningful relief in acute pain flares or in chronic conditions that have been unresponsive to oral medication alone. MUDr. Marek Hakl and MUDr. Eva Kynclová both hold specialist training in interventional algeziology with decades of combined experience in pain procedures. All injections are performed under aseptic conditions in the clinic's treatment room.

Nerve blocks and interventional injections are the cornerstone of interventional pain medicine — a subspecialty distinct from general anaesthesia or physiotherapy in that it uses precisely guided injectable techniques to address the neural and structural origin of pain rather than suppressing it systemically. At Bolest Brno, this work is performed by interventional algesiologists — physicians trained specifically in pain medicine — under the leadership of MUDr. Marek Hakl, PhD., Associate Professor of Masaryk University and one of the most credentialled pain specialists in South Moravia. **Injection types performed at the clinic:** - **Local infiltrations**: Direct injection of local anaesthetic ± corticosteroid into a specific painful structure (muscle, tendon, bursa, trigger point) - **Nerve blocks**: Injection around a peripheral nerve or nerve plexus to interrupt its ability to carry pain signals — used for conditions including intercostal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, trigeminal nerve branch pain, and lumbar facet-mediated pain - **Epidural injections**: Corticosteroid ± local anaesthetic into the epidural space for radicular pain and disc-related conditions - **GUNA preparations**: Natural hyaluronic acid and plant-extract injectables delivered at specific sites in patients preferring a non-corticosteroid approach **Pharmacological agents used:** Modern short- and long-acting local anaesthetics (e.g., bupivacaine, lidocaine, ropivacaine in appropriate concentrations), depot corticosteroids (triamcinolone, methylprednisolone) for sustained effect, and GUNA preparations as a natural alternative. **Procedural safety:** The clinic's algesiologists select the injection approach based on the anatomical target, patient history and the balance of benefit and risk for each individual. Aseptic technique is applied throughout. Post-injection monitoring for vasovagal reactions, local allergy or inadvertent vascular injection is standard. **Acute vs chronic pain:** The clinic explicitly notes that nerve blocks are particularly effective for acute or worsening chronic pain — conditions where rapid analgesic effect is needed. A single nerve block may provide hours to weeks of relief, potentially breaking a pain-spasm cycle and allowing physiotherapy or other rehabilitation to proceed more effectively. **Follow-up and integration:** Block results are systematically reviewed at the next clinic appointment. If a diagnostic block confirms the pain source, this may guide further targeted treatment. The procedure is typically combined with pharmacotherapy, acupuncture or other modalities within a personalised pain management plan. **Contraindications:** Active infection at or near the injection site, systemic sepsis, known coagulopathy or current therapeutic anticoagulation (relative — discuss with the physician), allergy to local anaesthetics or corticosteroids, haemodynamic instability. Some patients with diabetes require additional glucose monitoring after corticosteroid injections.