ABPS Interventional Pain Management study guide
ABPS Interventional Pain Management · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ABPS Interventional Pain Management credential is a board-style certification intended for physicians who already perform image-guided spine and peripheral procedures and want an independent assessment of that knowledge. It is aimed at interventional pain fellows and practicing specialists-anesthesiology, PM&R, neurology, and psychiatry-trained pain physicians-who manage both the diagnostic reasoning and the technical execution of pain procedures. The ABPS Interventional Pain Management study guide has 11 sections and about 2,321 words.
01Patient Evaluation and Diagnosis
A defensible pain diagnosis rests on mechanism plus anatomy, not on imaging alone. Expect questions on the history elements that change management: onset and trajectory, nociceptive versus neuropathic descriptors, red flags (fever, unexplained weight loss, night pain, bowel/bladder change, progressive weakness, saddle anesthesia), and psychosocial screening (catastrophizing, depression, opioid risk tools).
263 words, about 1 min02Pharmacology and Medical Management of Pain
Know mechanisms and receptor targets: NSAIDs (COX inhibition, GI/renal/cardiovascular risk), acetaminophen (central, hepatic ceiling), gabapentinoids (alpha-2-delta subunit), SNRIs and TCAs (descending modulation), topical agents (lidocaine, capsaicin), and opioids (mu agonism). Match drug class to mechanism: neuropathic pain responds to gabapentinoids, SNRIs, and TCAs, not to NSAIDs.
228 words, about 1 min03Interventional Diagnostic Procedures
Diagnostic blocks answer a yes/no question about a specific structure. Understand medial branch blocks (facet-mediated pain), selective nerve root blocks, sympathetic blocks, and provocative/differential blocks.
229 words, about 1 min04Spinal Injections and Procedures
Know epidural approaches (interlaminar, transforaminal, caudal), facet and medial branch injections, and sacroiliac joint injections. Understand indications, contrast confirmation, and steroid versus anesthetic roles.
210 words, about 1 min05Peripheral Nerve and Joint Blocks
Understand ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks (brachial plexus, femoral, sciatic, intercostal, genicular, ilioinguinal), joint injections (shoulder, hip, knee), and trigger point and bursa injections. Know relevant anatomy, target planes, and structures to avoid (vessels, pleura, nerves you intend to spare).
203 words, about 1 min06Neuromodulation and Implantable Devices
Spinal cord stimulation (tonic, high-frequency, burst, closed-loop), dorsal root ganglion stimulation, and peripheral nerve stimulation. Understand indications (persistent radicular or neuropathic pain after failed conservative care), trial-to-implant pathway, and programming concepts.
209 words, about 1 min07Ablative and Regenerative Techniques
Radiofrequency ablation (conventional, cooled, pulsed) targets medial branches for facet-mediated pain, genicular nerves for knee pain, and other named nerves. Regenerative approaches include platelet-rich plasma and prolotherapy; evidence varies by indication, and patient selection matters.
196 words, under 1 min08Complications, Safety, and Risk Management
Know the complication profile of each intervention: bleeding and hematoma, infection, nerve injury, vascular injection, pneumothorax, dural puncture and post-dural puncture headache, local anesthetic systemic toxicity, and steroid effects. Prevention rests on anticoagulation protocols, sterile technique, image guidance, and incremental injection.
195 words, under 1 min09Rehabilitation, Behavioral, and Multidisciplinary Care
Pain management is multimodal. Understand graded activity and functional restoration, physical and occupational therapy roles, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment approaches, pain neuroscience education, and interdisciplinary programs for chronic pain.
203 words, about 1 min10Practice Management and Regulatory Compliance
Know documentation, coding, and billing fundamentals: evaluation and management coding, procedure coding, medical necessity, and modifier use. Understand informed consent requirements, supervision and credentialing, and controlled-substance regulations including prescription monitoring and documentation standards.
182 words, under 1 min11Pain Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology
Trace the pain pathway: nociceptor transduction, primary afferent conduction (A-delta fast, C slow), dorsal horn synapses and ascending tracts (spinothalamic), and descending modulation from periaqueductal gray and rostral ventromedial medulla. Understand sensitization: peripheral (inflammatory mediators lower threshold) and central (wind-up, NMDA receptor involvement).
203 words, about 1 min