The primary purpose of Interventional Pain Medicine is to identify the source of the pain. This is a unique area of Pain Medicine with only a few qualified physicians with the training and expertise to accomplish this goal. The training involves a unique subspecialty fellowship following a traditional four year residency in Anesthesiology or Physical Medicine and Neurology. The fellowship is accredited by the American Board of Anesthesiology in Interventional Pain Medicine. It requires a thorough understanding of human anatomy and neurologic pathways. It typically includes in depth studies of cadavers during the year of training in addition to training in radiologic interpretation, neurologic examination, and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Following the subspecialty fellowship each practitioner will be required to pass the certification exam.

The process begins with a thorough physical examination of the patient including evaluation of the neurological system and viewing of previous radiologic exams. This would include MRI's, CT Scans, and standard XRays. Each patient should ensure they obtain their films (not the reports)and transport them to their visit so as to prevent further delays in the evaluation process. As well, further testing may be warranted if not previously completed. At this point in the evaluation process, ideas about the source of the pain will develop. Discussions with the patient will then ensue.

Examples of conditions that can be treated are herniated discs, lumbar back pain, neuropathic pain conditions, cancer, neck pain, headaches, pelvic pain, abdominal pain, etc.

From the patient perspective, the importance of identifying the source of the pain cannot be overstated. From a psychologic perspective it is imperative to know "what's wrong". Patients often go years without identifying the source. As well, once the source is identified, appropriate therapies can be applied.