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Spinal Cord Injury Association Article
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Common Medical Testing for Back Pain Patients
If you are suffering from back pain you may find that its time to go to the doctor to diagnosis the problem and find out what must be done to correct it. But, diagnosing the cause of back pain is not necessarily that easy. To begin with the most important information available to your physician will be your complete explanation of where the pain is and how it feels. That may sound simple, but if you want the pain treated you will need to be able to provide very clear details of what the pain feels like and how long it has been like that. You will need to give a thorough account of not just the present pain situation but also any past difficulties you had, whether there is a family history of such difficulties, if you smoke, have recently lost or gained weight, what sports you play, what kind of job you have and any other detail that might help the health provider pinpoint the cause of your pain. Your doctor may still have more questions. If by your answers he is unable to determine an answer to your back problem he may decide to order some tests. But first he will conduct a thorough medical examination.
During this physical examination the doctor will try to determine not only what may be causing the pain, but also how it is affecting your movement and stamina. He will likely begin by checking your spine to see how it is shaped so he check if here is a curvature. He’ll tap on it to see if this causes you pain. If it does it may be a sign of infection. Your legs will be measured to see if they are the same length. You’ll be asked to walk so that it can be determined if there is weakness or a limp. The examination will continue with further tests of movement. You’ll be asked to bend over as if touching your toes. If there is pain doing that then you likely have a disc problem. If this is easy for you then you will be asked to bend backwards, in that way stretching out the spine. Increased pain here could mean spinal stenosis. That condition is caused by an overgrowth of tissue or bone that squeezes into nerves in the spine causing pain. The doctor will recommend similar treatment for both of these problems; exercise directed by a physiotherapist and pain medications. The next set of tests will include leg movement and stretches. They are designed to determine leg strength. Any one of these may tell the physician that your problem is nerve root compression.
Once the physical aspects of the examination are completed the doctor will have to determine if he has enough conclusive proof to begin treatment. If he’s convinced that the problem is nothing more than muscle strain or nerve issues that don’t appear serious, then likely a basic treatment of rest, exercise and pain medications will be suggested with a schedule of follow-up visits to ensure that your back is improving and your pain diminishing.
If on the other hand it is suspected that the nerve problems are serious if may be suggested to you that further testing is necessary. You might start with simply having a bunch of x-rays taken. Then it’s possible your doctor would require more detail. This would likely mean a MRI or a CT. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. It is a non-invasive procedure that uses radio waves, a magnetic field and a computer to generate the images. This process allows the physician to view soft tissues, joints and bones. The pictures it takes are called slices, as they are of small areas that are photographed to give enhanced detail. The pictures are taken from multiple angles. CT stands for computer tomography. This process uses x-ray equipment to take more detailed images of the bones. Another possible test is a bone scan. You will receive an injection that will allow a gamma camera to scan your bones. When all the testing is done hopefully your physician will be able to provide a treatment plan designed to rid you of your back pain.
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