The Metro Pain Clinic Group

The management of a medical problem consists of the diagnostic phase and the therapeutic (or treatment) phase. In pain medicine, a more precise tissue specific diagnosis can be made with interventional diagnostic injections in which a specific target source is identified by the use of some imaging technique, such as fluroscopic x-ray, CT scan or ultrasound, and the presenting pain is either temporarily eliminated or activated by the procedure. Precision diagnosis is fortunately not often required. However, where clinically relevant, such an approach may be necessary particularly as it might lead to a specific treatment for the pain. Interventional treatment that might follow includes needle interventions such as radiofrequency neurotomy and epidural injection; additionally, interventional diagnostic procedures can be used to help plan surgery.