Kentuckiana Pain Specialists Reviews — Discussing imaging and test results

Connect the result to symptoms

Ask which specific finding fits the side, location and timing of your pain. An image can show more than one abnormality, and a report may include changes unrelated to the symptoms being evaluated. Have the clinician explain why one finding matters more than another.

Understand a diagnostic procedure

If a block is proposed, ask what area is being tested, what change you should record and how long the result will be assessed. A block used to select patients for a later procedure serves a different purpose from an injection offered for symptom relief. The result should be discussed in the context of your own goals and other findings.

Ask what is next either way

Before the test, ask what a helpful, unclear or unhelpful result would mean for the plan. If an imaging report and symptoms do not align, ask whether another explanation needs consideration rather than assuming one source is definitive.

If a diagnostic block is being considered, agree on which ordinary activity you can safely use to describe its effect and how to report the timing. A vague memory weeks later may be harder to interpret. The clinician should tell you what to record, not an online template, because the medication and target determine what the result can mean.