Regional Anesthetic Blocks

Regional anesthesia consists of infiltrating a peripheral nerve with an anesthetic agent and blocking transmission to avoid or relieve pain. It differs from general anesthesia as it does not affect the patient's consciousness level to relieve pain. There are several advantages over general anesthesia, such as avoidance of airway manipulation, reduced doses, side effects of systemic drugs, faster recovery time, and significantly lower pain levels after surgery. Postprocedural recovery time is reduced with markedly lower pain levels after surgery and earlier participation in physical therapy. Regional anesthesia can be used in conjunction with general anesthesia, postprocedural, and often for many acute and chronic pain conditions.