Role of pain injection procedures in the management of chronic pain

The paper offers an overview of pain intervention procedures which are just one facet of a holistic approach to managing pain. They can have a therapeutic and/or diagnostic focus, at times being useful in terms of guiding the clinician to useful pointers to the source of pain, and at others allowing windows of opportunity of pain relief to allow the patient to engage with other modes of pain management such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy with a common goal of improving level of function. The paper explores the importance of managing patient expectations, providing clear patient information and acquiring appropriate patient consent. It provides a brief overview of different procedures, drugs and other modalities as well as imaging used in their delivery.