Dr. Nitish Mandal
Diagnostic block
The scan shows something. The pain is somewhere. Those two are not always the same place. A diagnostic block is a way to ask the body, not only the film.
What a diagnostic block is
A small amount of numbing medicine is placed at a suspected pain source: a joint, a nerve, or a trigger point. If the pain goes away, that structure is confirmed as the source.
Treatment is chosen after that answer, not guessed from the MRI alone.
When it is discussed
- Reports look mixed, or look normal, and you still cannot live with the pain.
- More than one structure could explain the same symptom.
- You want a clear source before a longer treatment is planned.
Blocks and scans together
MRI and CT show structure. A diagnostic block asks whether that structure is producing this pain.
For certain pain diagnoses, a diagnostic block can help identify the source more clearly than MRI or CT alone. It does not replace a scan when a scan is needed.
What the visit is like
- The suspected source is identified on examination.
- Local anaesthetic is placed at that site, often with ultrasound or X-ray guidance.
- If the pain settles, the source is confirmed and a treatment plan can follow.
This is a clinic procedure. You are typically able to go home the same day.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this the treatment, or only a test?
- It is first a test: if the pain vanishes, the source is confirmed. Some people then have a targeted treatment at the same site.
- Is it better than an MRI?
- It answers a different question. A scan shows structure. A block tests whether that structure is causing the pain you feel. For certain diagnoses it can be more useful than MRI or CT alone.
- Will I be awake?
- Yes. Remaining awake means you can say at once whether the pain has changed.
A block that does not take the pain away is still useful. It tells us to look elsewhere. The first visit decides whether a diagnostic block is the right next question.
Page chat
Ask about diagnostic block
The questions on this page, with answers taken from the same details shown above.
Chat
Pain clinic
Typically replies on WhatsApp
The MRI shows something. How do you know that is the pain?
A diagnostic block places a small amount of numbing medicine at a suspected source. If the pain goes away, that structure is confirmed.
Is it better than an MRI?
It answers a different question. A scan shows structure. A block tests whether that structure is causing the pain you feel.