Elmer E. Dunbar

TL;DR: These guidelines include the evaluation of evidence for diagnostic and therapeutic treatment recommendations for chronic spinal pain, and the accuracy of facet joint nerve blocks is strong in the diagnosis of lumbar and cervical facet joint pain, whereas, it is moderate in the Diagnostic Accuracy Studies.

TL;DR: These guidelines evaluated the evidence for the use of opioids in the management of chronic non-cancer pain and recommendations for management and are based on the best available scientific evidence.

TL;DR: An updated evaluation of the effectiveness of 3 types of facet joint interventions in managing chronic spinal pain found the evidence for pain relief with radiofrequency neurotomy of cervical and lumbar medial branch nerves is moderate for short- and long-term pain relief, and indeterminate for thoracic facet neurotomy.

TL;DR: Evidence-based practice guidelines for interventional techniques in the management of chronic spinal pain are systematically developed and professionally derived statements and recommendations that assist both physicians and patients in making decisions about appropriate health care in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic or persistent pain.

TL;DR: The evidence obtained from literature review suggests that controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks of facet joints (medial branch or dorsal ramus) are reproducible, reasonably accurate and safe.