18 Aug RELIEF FOR CELIAC DISEASE PAIN THROUGH CELIAC PLEXUS NERVE BLOCK
Patients with celiac disease are unable to eat foods with gluten, as their immune system will attack their body and cause it pain. Patients have to eat foods that have no gluten in them to avoid dealing with painful symptoms throughout their day. Celiac plexus blocks can stop the pain felt by celiac disease. These nerve blocks are used to numb nerve bundles that supply sensation to our brains. The celiac plexus is the nerve bundle that is associated with celiac disease pain. Blocking this nerve bundle can stop celiac disease pain at its source.
What is a Celiac Plexus Block?
Celiac plexus blocks are injections of pain medication that help relieve abdominal pain, commonly due to cancer or chronic pancreatitis. The celiac plexus is a bundle of nerves that surrounds the aorta, the main artery into your abdomen. Blocking these nerves from carrying pain information can help you stop feeling pain in your abdomen. A celiac plexus block does not heal or treat the cause of celiac disease. This procedure only aids in stopping the pain from ever reaching our main processing center, the brain.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is a digestive disorder caused by an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in foods made with wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. It is also found in oats that have been made in processing plants that handle other grains. Gluten can even be found in some medicines, vitamins, and lipsticks. Gluten intolerance, also known as gluten sensitivity, is characterized by the body’s inability to digest or break down gluten. Some people with gluten intolerance have mild gluten sensitivity, while others have celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder. In celiac disease, the immune response to gluten creates toxins that destroy the villi.
Villi are tiny finger-like protrusions inside the small intestines. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition and other serious health complications, including permanent intestinal damage. Celiac disease symptoms usually involve the intestines and digestive system, but they can also affect other parts of the body.
Children and adults tend to have different sets of symptoms. Children with celiac disease can feel tired and irritable. They may also be smaller than normal and have delayed puberty. Adults with celiac disease may experience digestive symptoms. In most cases, however, symptoms also affect other areas of the body.
How Can a Celiac Plexus Block Help Patients Experiencing Pain from Celiac Disease?
Patients who experience pain and discomfort due to celiac disease can find relief through nerve blocks at the Chicago pain center. The celiac plexus nerve bundle controls the sensations coming from our mid to lower abdomen, and that is then sent to the brain. The brain will then process these signals as pain signals, and a patient will feel pain. These nerve bundles can be numbed, which blocks the signals sent from the abdomen to the brain, and stops chronic pain.