Diagnostic Techniques

Lumbar Facet Joint Pain Facet joints connect the bones of the spine. These small joints at the back of the spine provide stability and flexibility to the spine and can become painful with age, wear and tear or...

Cervical medial branch blocks are a diagnostic test to confirm the cervical facet joints as the cause of your neck pain. If this test confirms that pain is arising from these joints then radiofrequency facet joint denervation may be an effective treatment for your neck pain.

Facet joint injections are a procedure whereby a small amount of local anaesthetic and steroid is injected into one or more facet joints in the neck or back. Although there are occasions where facet joint injections are...

Osteoarthritic changes of the C1-2 or atlanto-axial joint are a common cause of upper neck pain, cervicogenic headache and neck stiffness.  In order to diagnose C1-2 joint pain, it is possible to inject local anaesthetic...

SIJ injections are performed under x-ray guidance in our day procedure facility with an anaesthetist providing light sedation.  A small needle is inserted into the sacroiliac joint to deliver a dose of local anaesthetic and...

This technique applies local anaesthetic to the network of nerves that supply sensation to the knee joint.  Three small injections around the knee are made under x-ray guidance to temporarily halt the flow of pain signals from the knee to the brain. Any surgical or invasive...

This technique is traditionally useful in the treatment of occipital neuralgia.  It has also been shown to benefit sufferers of more complex headache syndromes involving migraine, cervicogenic and tension headache features, where occipital region pain...

The Suprascapular Nerve conveys pain signals from the shoulder joint, as well as some components of the rotator cuff and some of the acromioclavicular joint.   Blocking it with an injection of local anaesthetic can provide...

These small joints at the junction of the rib and the vertebrae of the thoracic spine can become inflamed and painful in association with injury or degenerative change.  Pain is usually localised to the back...

In order to diagnose sacroiliac joint pain, it is possible to temporarily block with local anaesthetic the nerves responsible for sacroiliac joint sensation ( ie. the lateral branches of the sacral posterior primary...

Epidural steroid injection is used to treat pain associated with irritation and/or compression of a nerve root by a prolapsed disc or spinal canal stenosis. This pain generally radiates down the arm or leg.  If occurring...