WHAT IS IT?
The intercostal nerve supplies sensation to the skin of the chest wall. There are 12 such nerves on each side of the chest, running under a rib along with a small vein and artery. Sometimes, these nerves can become inflamed, causing pain called intercostal Neuralgia. The intercostal nerve black helps to diagnose and treat this condition. By injecting local anesthetic around the nerve, we can determine if the intercostal nerve is the source of pain. The procedure is usually done using x-ray guidance.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
There is some risk of infection, bleeding, allergic reactions, nerve damage, and side effects from the medicine. A rare risk is puncture of the lining of the lung tissue, which may result in difficult breathing and lung collapse.