OUR TREATMENTS
Assessing and diagnosing your pain
How is your problem assessed and diagnosed?
Firstly your Pain Medicine Consultant will ask you very specifically about your pain;
- where it is
- how long have you had it, when did it start
- what makes it better, what makes it worse
- what words would you use to describe the pain
- what do you think is causing it
- does it stop you sleeping
- does it stop you living your life
Your Pain Medicine Consultant will take a detailed history of any problems you may have had with your health throughout your life, and may ask about any health problems that your immediate family may have had. We know that some painful conditions can be part of another condition, e.g. peripheral neuropathy (pain and tingling in your feet or hands) can be as a result of diabetes.
Your Pain Medicine Consultant will look at and explore the painful area, asking about the pain as they examine the area. They may perform a neurological examination, asking you about the sensations you may feel, but also checking your reflexes, strength and range of movement both in the painful area, and in the rest of your body.
Depending on the findings of the examination your doctor may think it is necessary for you to have an X-ray, MRI or CT scan. The doctor may also request that you have some blood tests performed, in order to get a better picture of your health and pain problem.
You may also be asked to have a diagnostic procedure, for example, a local anaesthetic facet joint injection, to see if your back pain is in fact caused by the facet joint.
Your individualised treatment plan will be a product of the results of this very detailed examination.