The present invention provides methods, reagents and kits for the diagnosis and treatment of spinal-related pain, e.g., radiculopathic pain, facet pain and discogenic pain. Cytokine biomarkers, e.g., IFNy can be used to diagnose spine-related injury. It is also a finding of the present invention that spinal-related pain can be alleviated by administering therapeutic agents to the site of diagnostic presence of the cytokine biomarker. This invention further provides methods for extraction of samples from the spine, e.g., disc space samples, epidural samples and facet joint samples.
METHODS FOR DIAGNOSING AND TREATING PAIN IN THE SPINE