Pain factors are labeled with targeted agents or markers delivered into thebody. The labeled pain factors are imaged with appropriate imaging tools in amanner allowing selective identification and localization of areas of painsource or transmission. The labeled pain factors allow spatial differentiationin the imaging sufficient to specify the location of the pain so as to drivetherapeutic decisions and techniques in order to treat the pain. Pain factorslabeled and imaged in this manner may include one or more of nerve factors,blood vessel factors, cellular factors, and inflammation factors. Labeledmarkers may include for example radioactive materials (e.g. tritiated oriodinated molecules) or other materials such as metal (e.g. gold)nanoparticles. Intermediary binding materials may be used, such as for examplebi-specific antibodies. Therapeutic components of the system and methodinclude for example localized energy delivery or ablation treatments, or localdrug or other chemical delivery. Locations containing pain factor selectivelybound by targeted agents are selectively treated with directed energy into aregion containing the targeted agent bound to the pain factor.
