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Frequently Asked Questions

How is low back pain diagnosed?

Quality Health | Low Back Pain
The doctor will ask questions about your past health, symptoms, and work and physical activities. He or she will also do a physical exam. Your answers and the exam can help the doctor rule out a serious cause for the pain. In most cases, doctors are able to recommend treatment after the first exam. Most people do not need further testing. Imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs are not helpful for diagnosing most episodes of low back pain.
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Lower Back Pain Frequently Asked Questions
A thorough medical history and physical exam can usually identify any dangerous conditions or family history that may be associated with the pain. The patient describes the onset, site, and severity of the pain; duration of symptoms and any limitations in movement; and history of previous episodes or any health conditions that might be related to the pain. The physician will examine the back and conduct neurologic tests to determine the cause of pain and appropriate treatment.
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What causes low back pain?

Frequently Asked Questions
Low back pain can be caused by a number of factors ranging from traumatic injuries to the natural effects of aging and gravity. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae, which are made of bone. Between each vertebra are liquid filled discs with a durable, yet flexible outer layer of cartilage. These discs function as protective cushions or "shock absorbers" to protect the vertebra, spinal cord and spinal nerves.
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Parnell Family Chiropractic -
The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae, which are made of bone. Between each vertebra are soft discs with a ligamentous outer layer. These discs function as shock absorbers to protect the vertebra and the spinal cord. Many of the problems that cause back pain are the result of herniation and degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Degeneration is a process where wear and tear causes deterioration of the disc.
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Can you help me with low back pain?

Acupuncture Chicago - Chicago Chiropractor - Apollo Wellness...
First of all, if it makes life more difficult for you, that's serious in itself, Even it goes away in a few days you haven't really gotten rid of the problem. If will most likely return and if left untreated, could be more debilitating the next time. Which is why web recommend seeing a chiropractor at the first sign of back. Lower back pain can also be accompanied by a variety of symptoms, some of which indicate very serious problems.
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How well does acupuncture work on low back pain?

Points of Health - Nashville - FAQ
There is significant research showing the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of low back pain. These promising results include acute lumbar sprain, degenerative disc disease, and lumbar disc protrusion.
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What is low back pain?

Joe Hornberger, Hornberger Chiropractic Center
Low back pain can be either an acute or chronic disabling condition. It will affect most people at some stage in their life and accounts for more sick leave taken than any other single condition. acute lower back injury may be caused by a traumatic event, like a car accident or a fall. It occurs suddenly and its victims will usually be able to pinpoint exactly when it happened. In acute cases, the structures damaged will more than likely be soft tissue like muscles, ligaments and tendons.
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How Is Back Pain Diagnosed?

Back Pain Frequently Asked Questions
Diagnosing the cause of back pain requires a medical history and a physical exam. If necessary, your doctor may also order medical tests, which may include x rays. During the medical history, your doctor will ask questions about the nature of your pain and about any health problems you and close family members have or have had. Questions might include the following:
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For more information about MRI for low back pain, see: Should I have an MRI for low back pain?

Low Back Pain, SVCMC; New York NY
Imaging tests such as the myelogram and discography have been largely replaced by simpler and more effective methods for basic testing. They are sometimes still used in hard-to-diagnose cases or before surgery. If your doctor recommends discography, experts recommend getting a second opinion before having the test. If you have leg pain or numbness, you may have an electromyogram and nerve conduction studies to find out how severely your nerve function is being affected.
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Everyone knows Chiropractic is effective for low back pain. What else can Chiropractic help?

BodyZone -- Frequently Asked Questions
Doctors of Chiropractic effectively treat headaches, neck problems, shoulder, elbow, and wrist problems. Hip, knee, ankle and foot conditions also respond well to conservative chiropractic manipulative therapy.
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Can ankle, knee, hip, and low-back pain be caused by bad feet?

Heel and arch pain, ingrown toenails, Los Angeles sports inj...
Yes. Poor foot function can lead to abnormal rotational forces on the leg bones which can cause misalignment of the complex ankle, knee, and hip joints. The opposite is also true where misalignment of the hips can cause knee, ankle, and foot pain. Accurately diagnosing the origin of these problems is essential to appropriate treatment.
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How is chronic female pelvic pain diagnosed?

Chronic Female Pelvic Pain, SVCMC; New York NY
Since there are many possible causes of chronic female pelvic pain, see your health professional for thorough testing. Although your condition may be easily diagnosed during your pelvic exam, Pap test, and blood and urine screens, expect that you might have a series of medical appointments and tests. Early on, you're likely to have a transvaginal ultrasound, which is useful for detecting many types of pelvic growths and abnormalities.
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Chronic Female Pelvic Pain
There are many possible causes of chronic female pelvic pain, so it is important to see your health professional for thorough testing. Although your condition may be easily diagnosed during your pelvic exam, Pap test, and blood and urine screens, expect that you might have a series of medical appointments and tests. Early on, you're likely to have a transvaginal ultrasound, which is useful for detecting many types of pelvic growths and abnormalities.
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How is spinal pain diagnosed?

Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute
The diagnosis of spinal pain has greatly improved with the utilization of fluoroscopy when performing nerve blockade and joint injection. Fluoroscopy, a type of x-ray that allows observation of needle placement, has resulted in more specific and safer injections, facilitating more accurate diagnosis of acute and chronic pain. Injection of local anesthetic to a joint such as the facet joint or a nerve can help to determine the origin of pain.
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What can I do to prevent low back pain?

Backpainreliefkit.com
Experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of us will experience significant back pain sometime in our lives. Back pain is the second most frequent complaint in doctor's office visits (after the common cold) and it results in more lost productivity, both at home and at work, than any other medical condition. Fortunately, back pain usually is preventable.
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What about if I have a low pain threshold?

Blissful Birth ~ FAQ about our Kent based Antenatal Hypnosis...
If you practice the techniques and go into your birth without any fear or tension, then you will experience little (if any) pain, so your previous tolerance levels are irrelevant.
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How it is diagnosed?

Laparoscopy Hospital - Frequently asked questions about lapa...
Several ways have been suggested to diminish the diagnostic error that occurs if diagnosis is based solely on the clinical picture of suspected appendicitis. In fact appendicitis is a disease, which can mimic most of the causes of abdominal pain as well as some of the chest diseases. Despite new x-ray techniques, CT scans and ultrasounds, the diagnosis of appendicitis can be quite challenging.
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Vulvodynia: Vulvar Pain Clinics: FAQ's Vestibulitis, Vestibu...
Exquisite sensitivity of the tiny gland openings at the entrance of the vagina, to light touch with a cotton-tipped applicator, is the typical diagnostic feature of Vulvodynia. This is called the “touch test.” About two thirds of patients with Vulvodynia have visible, red tiny spots at these points. For the remainder of patients, a doctor may detect inflamed surface blood vessels with a colposcope, which is a magnifying instrument.
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Arthritis NSW | Education | Frequently Asked Questionsa abou...
Each year a large number of people visit their General Practitioner (GP) with symptoms such as back pain, neck pain, muscle pain or swollen and painful joints. Often, these symptoms are not severe and may last just a few days, in which case the GP will provide advice or treatment and allow the problem to resolve. But, if the pain persists or is severe, your GP may decide to refer you to a specialist in musculoskeletal diseases.
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Vanishing Twin Syndrome - Answers to Frequently Asked Questi...
Here's a typical scenario: A mother undergoes a routine ultrasound early in her pregnancy, for example at six or seven weeks gestation. Two fetuses are detected. The mother is told she is having twins. When the mother returns to the doctor six weeks later, only one heartbeat can be heard with a Doppler scan. Another ultrasound is performed. Only one fetus is identified.
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EndoFAQ
The only way a positive diagnosis of Endo can be made currently is via surgery, either a laparoscopy or the more invasive laparotomy, where biopsies are taken from suspected sites. It can also be visualized during surgery if the surgeon knows what to look for. Ultrasounds, MRIs, CT Scans and other diagnostic tests are not conclusive. The ERC does not support "medical diagnoses," such as administering GnRH therapy prior to a surgical diagnosis.
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PROLEUKIN® (aldesleukin): FAQs About Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer is usually diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound imaging, or by tissue biopsy. (Please see Kidney Cancer Diagnosis for more information.)
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How is chronic pain diagnosed?

Chronic Pain, SVCMC; New York NY
Chronic pain is usually diagnosed by your medical history. Your health professional will ask about your past illnesses and your overall health. He or she will also give you a physical exam. Before a diagnosis is made, tests may be done to rule out or identify other conditions that can cause pain. These tests may include a neurological exam, blood tests, and a mental health assessment. In most cases, test results are normal, making it difficult to know the exact cause of the pain.
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How is lower back pain diagnosed?

Dr. Demirjian
The first thing that must be done is to provide your doctor with a complete history of your back pain. After this overview is reviewed, your doctor will conduct a thorough physical examination. X-rays of your lower back may also be ordered at the initial office visit if your back pain has been ongoing for more than 4 - 6 weeks. X-rays are also ordered if there is a specific reason to suspect a fracture, infection or possible malignant tumor of the spine.
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What about pain?

FAQ's - Hip and Knee Center for Joint Replacment St. John De...
Thanks to advances in medication technology, we are able to keep you very comfortable after surgery. After surgery, any temporary discomfort does not compare to the pain of arthritis endured by most people in months and years before surgery. And because hip replacement patients are not “sick,” you will not be treated as such. You will wear casual clothing after surgery, not hospital gowns.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Back problems can be caused by an extraordinarily wide range of problems – some of them originating elsewhere in the body, but with pain being transmitted (referred) to areas of the back by the nervous system. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical attention. It is the symptom that prompts most patients who get chiropractic care. The majority of backache sufferers complain of pain in the lower back; the second most common site of discomfort is the base of the neck.
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