Rebound Pain After Peripheral Nerve Block: A Review

Abstract

Peripheral nerve block (PNB) is now a commonly used analgesic treatment in clinical anesthesia owing to ongoing advancements in ultrasound imaging technology, which provides clear images of the nerves. Multimodal analgesia based on peripheral nerve blocks is replacing the conventional opioid-based analgesic strategy. However, after the nerve block effect is removed, some patients experience rebound pain (RP), which exacerbates suffering. The benefits of PNB as a perioperative analgesic may be completely negated if RP is discovered and treated too late, even if it can be promptly managed with analgesics. The definitions, clinical signs, risk factors, pathophysiology, and prevention of RP after PNBs are reviewed in this article. At present, the mechanism of RP after PNB is still unclear, but different types of RP may share similar mechanisms in the pain transmission pathway. In this review, we have determined the characteristics of RP and tried to identify the high-risk factors. Among the many means of preventing and reducing the incidence of RP identified, a single block with adjuvant dexamethasone is a reliable regimen, but for the time being, the application of a catheter would be a more reliable method of reducing RP. This review also provides recommendations for the proper use of nerve blocks as supplemental analgesics under clinical anesthesia.