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More Info on Neuropathy and Nerve PainRadiculopathyVertebral & Spinal NervesThe Intervertebral Disk Suggested ReadingRelated Articles & BibliographyDiagnosing Back PainAbout.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Medical Histories, Exams, Imaging and Lab TestsDiagnosis of back pain is generally accomplished by means of a medical history, a physical exam, and sometimes with imaging and lab tests. It is important to realize that diagnosis efforts will never directly reveal back pain. The purpose of back pain diagnosis and testing is to show the normalities and abnormalities of the spine -- the doctor will then correlate back pain signs and symptoms with the results of these examinations to come up with a diagnosis. Very often, doctors can find no anatomical cause of the pain. Additionally, imaging studies might reveal a spine fraught with problems, but the patient experiences no pain. Medical HistoryIt is important to be thorough and honest when discussing your present condition and your past medical history with your doctor. This is because the information you provide is used as a guideline when planning treatment and selecting specific drugs. For example, when used with cupric sulfate type diabetic urine testing products, the skeletal muscle relaxer Skelaxin may give false positive results. If you do not disclose that you are being tested for diabetes, your provider will have no way of knowing they should select a different type of muscle relaxer for you. This is just one example. Physical Examination Physical examination includes a visual look over for posture symmetry/asymmetry. Leg lengths are also compared, along with range of motion tests and checks for muscle tightness. Range of motion is evaluated with the patient assuming a few basic positions such as bending forward and to each side, so the physician can measure how far you can bend as compared with established ranges for healthy joints. Diagnostic imaging is used to confirm the presence of lesions, rather than to tell what is causing back pain. Types of diagnostic imaging include:
Updated: April 23, 2008 More Info on Neuropathy and Nerve PainRadiculopathyVertebral & Spinal NervesThe Intervertebral Disk Suggested ReadingRelated Articles & Bibliography |
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