Proposed changes surrounding the administering of nerve blocks could result in the loss of a service that people with chronic pain depend on.

Seana Tuite lives with Behcet’s disease which is why she has been accessing nerve blocks at the pain clinic. A draft standard developed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario might take the option away from Tuite.

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The college wants to make image guidance, such as an ultrasound, mandatory for all nerve blocks. The only exception is superficial facial blocks. Director of the National Pain Centre Jason Busse, says he understands why there is an interest in regulating these procedures.

“It’s to ensure that the intervention is being delivered where it is intended, which is in proximity to the nerve. I do understand the desire to try and reduce any adverse events where the needle is inserted in a place where it is not intended,” Busse said.

Busse also acknowledges the concerns about how much these changes could affect patients, “about 70 per cent of these nerve blocks are being provided by family physicians, often in private clinics outside of hospitals. Many of which probably don’t have access to these imaging services on site.”

Tuite says, “the treatments that I’m getting are not opioid-based right now, and I think the problem we are going to face is that if they take that away, so many people will be forced to go to opioids or street drugs.”

A social and community services professor at Humber college, Daniel Bear shares the same concern, “anytime you push people away from regulated medical supplies, or increase their need to turn to illicit sources for opioid pain relief, or pain relief anyway, you put them at very high risks because of the toxic drug supply that exists in Canada.”

The college is still in talks about whether or not they will make the draft standard final.

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