Diagnostic Block

Diagnostic blocks are performed to confirm information about the source of a patient’s pain.

Blocks involve the precise placement of local anesthetic or numbing medication in or near the presumed painful structure such as the zygapophyseal or facet joints or spinal nerve. During the diagnostic block procedure, a small amount of local anesthetic is injected into the anatomy structure to confirm whether this structure is the pain generator. The result is considered positive if the pain gets 80% weaker after an injection.

The patient’s pain is assessed both before and after the procedure and inferences can be made regarding the “pain generator” or exact structure causing the pain. Only when a definitive diagnosis of the pain generator is made your doctor can make more appropriate recommendations for treatment of the painful condition and offer a prognosis for improvement.

At KCM Clinic we are highly skilled in the performance of these diagnostic blocks. If not performed in a precise and accurate manner, the diagnostic information becomes useless and subsequent treatments are less likely to be effective.

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About the procedure
Preparation
Convalescence
Precautions

The diagnostic block is one of the effective treatments for back pain. An agent with strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties is administered as an injection under X-ray control to inhibit inflammation in the area of irritated tissues.

Before surgery, it is necessary to have a consultation with a neurosurgeon performing the procedure – dr hab. Stanisław Kwiek. To qualify for the procedure, a current MRI or CT scan result is required – the result cannot be older than 6 months. The test results should be with you during the consultation on the CD – the test description alone is not sufficient.

Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography is also available as a private service at OMEGA diagnostic imaging, which receives patients in the same building as KCM Clinic.

The patient must undergo examinations in accordance with the recommendations of the neurosurgeon after medical consultation prior to the procedure. An anesthetic consultation is also necessary, performed on the day of admission to the hospital ward. You should be prepared for a few hours’ stay in the hospital ward at KCM Clinic. Before the procedure, the patient reports to the Registration with full documentation and the results of imaging and laboratory tests.

It should also be remembered that patients after surgery cannot drive a car. The patient should provide an accompanying person who will help ensure a safe return home.

Specialised physiotherapy and rehabilitation are very important after neurosurgery. It is absolutely necessary to follow the instructions of the doctor and medical staff. Correct physiotherapy is managed by Krzysztof Suszyński, MD, physiotherapy specialist, both before and after our minimally invasive endoscopic procedures.

Persons struggling with comorbidities or other health problems must inform their physician during the first qualification consultation. Before the procedure, all tests should be carried out as prescribed by the doctor and all recommendations before and after the procedure should be followed.

About the procedure: The diagnostic block is one of the effective treatments for back pain. An agent with strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties is administered as an injection under X-ray control to inhibit inflammation in the area of irritated tissues.
Preparation: Before surgery, it is necessary to have a consultation with a neurosurgeon performing the procedure – dr hab. Stanisław Kwiek. To qualify for the procedure, a current MRI or CT scan result is required – the result cannot be older than 6 months. The test results should be with you during the consultation on the CD – the test description alone is not sufficient.
Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography is also available as a private service at OMEGA diagnostic imaging, which receives patients in the same building as KCM Clinic.
The patient must undergo examinations in accordance with the recommendations of the neurosurgeon after medical consultation prior to the procedure. An anesthetic consultation is also necessary, performed on the day of admission to the hospital ward. You should be prepared for a few hours’ stay in the hospital ward at KCM Clinic. Before the procedure, the patient reports to the Registration with full documentation and the results of imaging and laboratory tests.
It should also be remembered that patients after surgery cannot drive a car. The patient should provide an accompanying person who will help ensure a safe return home.
Convalescence: Specialised physiotherapy and rehabilitation are very important after neurosurgery. It is absolutely necessary to follow the instructions of the doctor and medical staff. Correct physiotherapy is managed by Krzysztof Suszyński, MD, physiotherapy specialist, both before and after our minimally invasive endoscopic procedures.
Precautions: Persons struggling with comorbidities or other health problems must inform their physician during the first qualification consultation. Before the procedure, all tests should be carried out as prescribed by the doctor and all recommendations before and after the procedure should be followed.