[Indications and limits of nerve block techniques]

Repetitive nerve blocks as a monotherapeutic treatment are loosing importance in the therapy of chronic pain. Such invasive methods for pain reduction are just one strategy in the interdisciplinary and multimodal planning of pain therapy. They are mostly used in special indications, e.g. reflex sympathetic dystrophy neurolysis in S3-S5 localized cancer pain. Premises for an invasive pain therapy are the patient's knowledge and agreement concerning this method. Furthermore, it is necessary for the physician to know the typical complications of the invasive treatment and to be able to manage them. It is recommended to document the pain course.