DEEP DIVE · CHAPTER 13
Procedural Precision
Aiming Is Not Seeing
A blind injection often lands somewhere other than its target, which is why Dr. Padda does every procedure under live imaging with an awake patient. This Deep Dive gives the evidence behind Chapter 13 of The Pained Brain, including why a steroid can hide a miss while a diagnostic block cannot.
31 pages · 79 references, every one verified · written by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP, and Dr. KrisJay Fucanan, MD
CHAPTER 13 ON VIDEO
Injecting Blindly Is Accepting Failure
Dr. Padda walks through this chapter on video. All twenty-two are on the The Pained Brain playlist on the Padda Institute channel.
The receipts behind Chapter 13
Three shoulder injections, three physicians, three misses, and the patient is the one told he failed. In Chapter 13 I show how often a blind needle lands somewhere else, why a steroid can hide the miss while a diagnostic block cannot, and why I do every procedure under live imaging with an awake patient who can say, “That’s it.”
The book makes the argument. This Deep Dive shows the evidence, claim by claim: the study, who was in it, the number and where it sits in the paper, what it does not show — and the questions to bring to your own physician. It is written to be handed to your doctor.
Enter your name, email and mobile number. The PDF arrives by email within a few minutes, and the other twenty-one Deep Dives arrive one a week, in order.
Frequently asked questions
What is an image-guided injection?
An image-guided injection is placed while the physician watches the needle on live imaging, instead of aiming blind. Chapter 13 of The Pained Brain puts it simply: aiming is not seeing. A blind injection often lands somewhere other than its target, so Dr. Padda does every procedure under live imaging, with an awake patient who can confirm the spot.
Why didn’t my cortisone shot work?
One common reason is placement. Chapter 13 tells the story of a man who had three shoulder injections from three physicians. All three missed, and he was the one told he failed. A blind needle often lands somewhere other than its target, and a steroid can hide that miss. A diagnostic block cannot hide a miss that way, and the chapter explains why that matters.
Why stay awake for a pain injection?
An awake patient can tell the physician when the needle reaches the spot that matches the pain. Dr. Padda does every procedure under live imaging with the patient awake, so the patient can say, “That’s it.” The image shows where the needle is. The patient confirms it is the right place. Chapter 13 explains why a precise procedure needs both.
What is in the Chapter 13 Deep Dive?
It is a 31-page PDF with 79 references, every one verified, written by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP, and Dr. KrisJay Fucanan, MD. For each claim it gives the study, who was in it, the number and where it sits in the paper, what it does not show, and the questions to bring to your own physician. It arrives by email within a few minutes.