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History and physical exam for low back pain - Results
About this test
The history and physical examination for low back pain may provide the following results:
Normal
History does not reveal an obvious cause of the low back pain.
A physical exam does not cause the same type of pain, muscle weakness, or nerve-related symptoms that you have been having.
Your doctor may recommend:
- Nonsurgical treatment (rest, pain relievers, heat or ice, exercise).
- More tests and exams to find out whether some other medical problem is causing your low back pain.
Abnormal
The medical history and physical exam are likely to distinguish between a low back problem related to a muscle strain or overuse and one that is caused by pressure on a nerve or another more unusual problem.
- If your back pain seems to be related to muscle strain or overuse, or if your nerve-related symptoms are not severe, your doctor will likely recommend conservative treatment (rest, pain relievers, heat or ice, exercise) for a period of time to see whether your symptoms improve.
- If your nerve-related symptoms are more serious or if your doctor suspects that there is a more serious problem, he or she may recommend more tests, such as X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), or blood tests.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: February 4, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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