Advancing Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Blocks in Emergency Medicine

BlockHeads is a collaborative community of emergency physicians focused on advancing ultrasound-guided regional analgesia and nerve block procedures in the emergency department. Our mission is to improve patient care by bringing safe, effective, and practical pain management to the bedside through ultrasound-guided techniques.

While our anesthesia colleagues have led the development of regional anesthesia in the operating room, BlockHeads is focused on translating these principles into the acute care setting—where timely, opioid-sparing analgesia can have immediate impact for patients in the ED.

Our approach is built on four core values: education, application, shared clinical experience, and research. Through ongoing collaboration, we aim to make ultrasound-guided nerve blocks more accessible, scalable, and consistently performed across emergency medicine practice.

Our growing community of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) clinicians connects through regular discussions, shared experiences, and collaborative learning—exploring current concepts, emerging techniques, and practical strategies for implementing regional analgesia in real-world settings.

In addition to our community and research initiatives, we offer hands-on ultrasound workshops designed for clinicians at all levels. These small-group courses emphasize real-world application, providing direct training from national leaders in emergency ultrasound and regional analgesia. Participants leave with the knowledge, confidence, and practical framework needed to immediately incorporate ultrasound-guided nerve blocks into their clinical practice and build programs within their own departments.