This course presents the findings of an international consortium of pain medicine and governmental organization representatives, including AAPM, on the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain to include patient selection, performance and interpretation of diagnostic blocks, and optimization of radiofrequency ablation outcomes.

See the published “Consensus Practice Guidelines on Interventions for Lumbar Facet Joint Pain.”

Part one:
Learning Objectives:

• Review selection criteria for “diagnostic” facet blocks.
• Assess how to maximize lesion size and its relationship to RF ablation success rate.
• Identify the issues surrounding patient selection for clinical practice and clinical trials.

Presentations:
Guideline Questions, Methodology and Patient Selection: How Many Blocks, Cutoff for a Positive Block, and Are Medial Branch or Intra-Articular Injections Better?
Steven P. Cohen, MD

Imaging and Facet Pain: Evidence for Pre-Block Imaging and Imaging for the Performance Facet Blocks
W. Michael Hooten, MD

What is the Evidence for Larger Lesions and Parallel Electrode Orientation?
David A. Provenzano, MD

What Volume(s) Should be Used for Medial Branch Blocks and Intra-Articular Injections?
Jee Youn Moon, MD PhD FIPP CIPS

Part two:
Learning Objectives:

• Improve selection criteria for “diagnostic” facet blocks.
• Learn how to maximize lesion size and its relationship to RF ablation success rate.
• Identify the issues surrounding patient selection for clinical practice and clinical trials.

Presentations:
Minimizing Complications with Lumbar Facet Blocks
Samer N. Narouze, MD PhD

Should Facet Block Patients Routinely Be Sedated?
Robert W. Hurley, MD PhD FASA

Differences Between Clinical Practice and Clinical Trials
Mark S. Wallace, MD

Should a Trial of Conservative Care Be Mandatory Before Facet Blocks?
David J. Kennedy, MD

Should Sensory and Motor Testing Be Used Before Radiofrequency Ablation?
Zirong Zhao, MD, PhD, FACP

Fee: Members - FREE, Non-Members - $49

This is a non-CME program.

Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Pain Medicine, 8735 West Higgins Road, Suite 300, Chicago, Illinois 60631
All rights reserved, including that of translation into other languages. No part of this on demand course may be shared, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.