How is spinal pain diagnosed?
The diagnosis of spinal pain has greatly improved with the utilization of fluoroscopy when performing nerve blockade and joint injection. Fluoroscopy, a type of x-ray that allows observation of needle placement, has resulted in more specific and safer injections, facilitating more accurate diagnosis of acute and chronic pain. Injection of local anesthetic to a joint such as the facet joint or a nerve can help to determine the origin of pain. There are two different types of blocks utilized by a pain practitioner: diagnostic blocks and therapeutic blocks. A diagnostic block is used to determine the origin of pain. However, it may also provide pain relief for a prolonged period. The response varies from patient to patient and may depend on how long the pain syndrome has been present. To determine a positive response to a block, a patient usually undergoes at least two injections in succession, with both blocks relieving a significant portion of the patient’s primary complaint. Therapeuti
