Back pain, especially lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for visiting the doctor. While, not all back pain needs extensive analysis, a small percentage (less than 10%) does require extensive back pain diagnosis.
Simple Tests
In majority of the cases, back pain diagnosis is limited to interrogating the patient on the history and nature of back pain. The physician identifies if the pain is chronic or acute, whether movement is restricted, and the time of aggravation, etc. He/she asks about location, frequency, duration and intensity of pain. The physician also asks about other difficulties the patient might be facing – like lack of control over urinal or bowel movements.
The physician asks about the history of the pain. The activities preceding the pain, the action that limit or control the pain, previous treatments, nature of pain, etc., are all matters of interrogation. The physician also closely observes the physical posture of the patient. Checking of the range of movements is also important. He/she also tests the areas of the back, where the pain is the maximum. The physician subjects the patients to controlled motion of arms or legs in different directions.
For example, if the patient is having difficulty lifting knees towards chest from a lying down posture, it could mean sciatica or blocked nerves. Palpation is another method of identifying problem areas of the backbone.
Specialist Tests
There is a wide range of back pain diagnosis tests that physicians and specialists suggest. Specific diagnosis is suggested only after inferring at least a broad cause of the pain. A patient with a history of athletic injury can have chances of a fractured or dislocated vertebra. Only an X-ray test can identify the exact nature of injury. Similarly, signs of numbness and lack of sensitivity in an arm or a leg can be a reason for nerve damage. A nerve speed test is suggested in such cases.
When Is Specialist Back Pain Diagnosis Suggested?
As already said only very few cases of back pain need extensive back pain diagnosis. The physician, however, thoroughly examines the condition and medical history of the patient through interrogation and movements limitations tests.
These early diagnosis helps the physician put the patient in one or another broad category. The first category is the majority of patients (about 90%), who don’t need any special treatment or diagnosis. The second category of patients (less than 10%) need further tests to identify actual cause of the pain, which can be fractures to vertebrae or damages to nerves. The third category of patients (less than 1%) may be suffering from spinal infections or tumor.
Laboratory tests are helpful in identifying infection. Urine analysis, blood count tests, etc., are useful. In case of fractures and disc hernia, x-ray tests or MRI scans are used to identify the exact location and nature of fracture or hernioid discs.
While in most cases, the doctors don’t call for the costly tests; rare cases need the use of the advanced technologies to identify the underlying conditions leading to back pain. Then, the doctor can suggest the appropriate course of action.