Interventional Pain for the Non-Interventionalist

leading cause of why patients seek medical care. Although chronic pain is increasingly common, the treatment is quite different than for acute situations. Interventional pain physicians specialize in the treatment of chronic spinal pain and have underwent years of training in their respective specialties, and at least another year in sub-specialty training. This sub-specialty training focuses on the etiology and treatment of chronic pain, with emphasis on interventional management. Most health care professionals have a basic understanding of pain and how to treat it in a conservative fashion. Once these measures fail to provide adequate relief and the pain has transitioned to a chronic state, treatment is quite different and referral to a pain specialist for consideration of intervention is the next logical step. Acquiring familiarity with chronic spinal pain syndromes and their treatment can help the referring provider and the patient prepare for the upcoming intervention. This article will outline some of the most common spinal pain syndromes and their interventional management to assist the primary provider in this endeavor.