The Inpatient Pain Service provides in-hospital consults for patients with acute pain (sudden, often temporary), along with anesthesia and pain management services for patients undergoing surgery at UAB Hospital. The primary goals are excellent patient care and effective management of acute pain, to enhance recovery and help patients return home faster after surgery or a hospital stay. Our service uses ultrasound-guided techniques for nerve blocks that help us deliver safer and more effective pain relief, and we perform more than 6,000 nerve blocks each year. Our acute pain treatment services are available for patients undergoing many types of surgeries, including orthopedic, gynecologic, trauma, thoracic, vascular, plastic, and general surgical procedures.

The types of pain blocks and related services performed by the Inpatient Pain Service include:

• Upper and lower extremity blocks
• Paravertebral and erector spinae plane blocks
• Transverse abdominis plane blocks
• Spinal and epidural blocks
• Nerve block catheter techniques
• Nerve stimulation techniques
• Other acute pain treatment procedures