Exams and Tests for Spondylosis

Call your spine specialist if you have persistent back pain. During your visit, he or she will ask you questions and perform some exams. This is to try to correctly diagnose your spine problem.

Your spine specialist will ask about your current symptoms and remedies you have already tried (see below).

Typical Diagnostic Questions

• When did the pain start?
• What activities did you recently do?
• What have you done for your pain?
• Does the pain readiate or travel to other parts of your body?
• Does anything reduce the pain or make it worse?

Your spine specialist also will conduct physical and neurological exams. In the physical exam, he or she will observe your posture, range of motion, and physical condition. Movement that causes pain will be noted. Your doctor will feel your spine, note its curvature and alignment, and feel for muscle spasm. During the neurological exam, your spine specialist will test your reflexes, muscle strength, other nerve changes, and pain spread.

Tests may be needed to help diagnose your condition, and you may have to go to an imaging center for these tests. An x-ray or a Computerized Axial Tomography scan (a CT or CAT scan) can show narrowed disc space or where bone spurs have formed. For more information about your spine, you may need a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test (an MRI). It helps diagnose a herniated disc (bulging out). If it’s possible you have nerve damage, your doctor may order a special test called an electromyography (an EMG) to measure how quickly your nerves respond.