Evidence-Based Interventional Pain Medicine: According to Clinical Diagnoses

Unrelieved chronic pain is a worldwide epidemic
Chronic pain has been subject to multiple internationalinitiatives through the World Health Organization. InterventionalPain Medicine, use of minimally invasive techniques to relievepain, is the best approach when simpler measures such as physicaltherapy or medications fail. However, these procedures can beassociated with significant risk and expense. Establishinguniformity in diagnostic criteria and procedural performance canreduce both morbidity and unnecessary procedures, and hencehealthcare expenditures.

While other texts explain how to perform these procedures,little focus has been given to diagnostic considerations: if andwhen these procedures should be performed. Evidence-basedInterventional Pain Practice uniquely focuses on how theestablishment of an accurate and specific diagnosis relates to theeffectiveness of the interventions. It provides the evidence forthe use of interventional pain techniques across all areas ofchronic pain including:

• Head, neck and shoulder pain
• Spinal pain
• Pain in the joints and extremities
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Phantom pain

Evidence-based Interventional Pain Practiceprovides essential knowledge for anyone who uses, or intends touse, interventional pain techniques.