Over 7 million Canadians suffer from chronic pain, and pain blocks (PBs) are increasingly utilized for pain relief. PBs involve the injection of a local anesthetic and/or steroid near or onto a nerve. This interrupts pain signals and can offer both short-term and, in some cases, long-lasting pain relief. However, there’s a lack of evidence regarding their efficacy, and clinical practice guidelines lack recommendations for PB administration, leading to concerns about the lack of standardization and potential complications.

This study examined the utilization of PBs for managing chronic pain in Ontario, Canada, with the objective of uncovering administration trends and assess variations in patient and physician traits based on the quantity of PBs given.

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