Lumbar Spine Pain 

The most common; detectable causes of chronic low back pain; are internal disc disruption of the lumbar disc(40%), facet joint pain 15% and sacroiliac joint pain 15%. 

The only accurate way to diagnose facet and sacroiliac joint pain is by diagnostic local anaesthetic injection under radiology. 

The diagnostic procedure for facet joints is called Medial Branch Blocks. 

The diagnostic procedure for the sacroiliac joint is called an intra articular joint block. 

The diagnostic procedure for disc pain is called provocation discography. 

In general, patients do not have a combination of the above disorders; they have one or the other, but not both. 

Currently there is debate as to what is the best treatment for disc generated pain. 

Currently the best available treatment for sacroiliac joint pain is a steroid injection. 

Currently the best available treatment for facet joint pain is radio frequency neurotomy.