Diagnostic testing is an integral component for the differential diagnosis. In routine clinical practice there has been a tendency for clinical examinations to become more cursory, largely influenced by increasing demands on a practitioner’s time and the patient’s expectations of technological advances. The result may arguably lead to an overreliance on technology for basic clinical diagnosis. This session is meant to provide a review or, for some, an introduction to basic structural and functional studies used for the diagnosis of pain related problems. Attention will also be given to the limitations of such studies and the importance of establishing clinical relevance to their findings. Factors that adversely affect clinical management potentially resulting in failed treatment will be discussed, as well as best practices when utilizing such studies to help enhance clinical outcomes for treatment.