What Is Diagnostic Mapping?
To help determine what type of therapy a patient might need to help relieve their back pain, a pain specialist needs to determine the source of the pain. Diagnostic mapping, (also called spinal facet mapping or lumbar mapping), is a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure in which injections are used to pinpoint the source of pain, with the assistance of the patient. After injecting an anesthetic into the area where the patient feels pain, the patient is asked if the pain is temporarily relieved, which will occur instantaneously, allowing the spine specialist to accurately establish the cause of the patient's pain.
If the patient experiences significant pain relief after the injection, it confirms that the targeted area is the primary source of discomfort. This precise identification helps the pain specialist determine the most effective treatment, which may include targeted therapies such as nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, or physical therapy. Since diagnostic mapping is a minimally invasive procedure, it is typically performed on an outpatient basis with minimal recovery time, allowing patients to quickly move forward with an appropriate treatment plan tailored to their specific condition.
