Diagnosing Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common problems with many but few pay attention to it. If not diagnosed in time it aggravates pain and leads to more severe consequences. Diagnosis is done by taking help of patient's history and a detailed physical examination. In very few cases, the patient is required to undergo an intensive examination to determine the cause of pain.

Physical examination is done to know the physical condition in which the patient experiences more pain, duration of pain, exact location of pain and what action aggravates pain. Examination of spines movement and assessment of lower limb muscles are also a part of the physical test. If doctor gets to know about past kidney and pancreatic disorders, it helps in ascertaining reasons behind the pain.

Patient's history becomes significant as it reveals various conditions related to health background and age of patient. Intensive examination involves bone scan ,MRI, X-Ray, CT scan and Mylography. Patients who have sudden back pain due to accidents and patients who experience pain in night are often put to these tests. If a child suffers from this pain, these tests are conducted to ensure safety of the growing bones.

Bone scan helps in knowing the structure of bones, spinal tumor and bone infections. Nerves, discs and bones are observed with the help of MRI. CT scan helps in detecting spinal stenosis that also contributes to back pain. People who have persistent pain for more than two weeks are suggested to undergo EMG to ascertain nerves involvement in pain. But, these tests are generally avoided as physical examination can easily find out reasons of pain.