Understanding Spinal Disk Problems -- Diagnosis & Treatment How
Do I Know I Have Disk Problems? Because there are many causes of
back pain, it is important for your doctor to do a thorough
history and physical examination to determine if a spinal disk
problem is the root of your back pain. A herniated or slipped
disk may press on the nerves coming out from the spinal cord,
and it may show up in a targeted neurological exam. Your doctor
will check your reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation for
abnormalities or changes, especially those that involve the
lower extremities. A spinal X-ray may eliminate other potential
causes of pain, but X-rays don't show soft tissue very clearly.
It may be necessary for your doctor to order magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans to get a more
detailed image of the soft and bony tissues around the spine.
Another helpful medical test is a myelogram, which enables the
doctor to see the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots and perhaps
to identify and det