| Sciatica is a painful symptom of a disorder in the | | | | for muscle spasms. The physician will test your |
| lumbar spine. There are a variety of conditions | | | | reflexes, your muscle strength, neurological |
| which cause sciatica and the first step in | | | | changes, and pain distribution. |
| developing a treatment plan is arriving at an | | | | In addition, the following tests may be done: |
| accurate diagnosis. | | | | 1. Lab tests for symptoms of infection |
| Since trauma, such as one caused by a sports | | | | 2. Spinal X-rays |
| injury, a fall, or involvement in a car accident, can | | | | 3. MRI –Magnetic resonance imaging which |
| lead to sciatica, obtaining an accurate history is | | | | produces cross-section images of your back to |
| the first step toward diagnosis. The physician may | | | | detect tumors, or damage to discs and ligaments. |
| ask you such questions as: | | | | 4. CT scan-Computerized tomography which can |
| 1. When did the pain start? | | | | identify spinal damage. |
| 2. Was there an injury or accident that you recall? | | | | The MRI and CT scan are more effective than |
| 3. How did your pain develop? | | | | x-rays at showing the soft tissues in your spine |
| 4. Describe the pain. Does it radiate down your | | | | and are helpful in identifying conditions such as a |
| leg? Is there numbness or tingling? | | | | bulging or herniated disc. In addition, your physician |
| 5. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as the most | | | | may decide additional tests are needed to help in |
| severe pain, how do you rate yours? | | | | a diagnosis: |
| 6. What activities make this pain worse? For | | | | 1. Bone scan will help identify osteoporosis, |
| instance, sitting for long periods of time? | | | | vertebral fractures, or infection |
| 7. Does walking up or down hill make the pain | | | | 2. Discogram in which dye is injected and x-rays |
| worse? | | | | are taken to confirm the diagnosis that a disc is |
| 8. Does coughing, sneezing, or straining increase | | | | causing your pain. |
| your pain? | | | | 3. Myelogram which shows a spinal canal or spinal |
| 9. Have you tried any form of treatment? | | | | cord disorder after an injection of dye and an |
| 10. What helped relieve your pain? | | | | x-ray or CT scan. |
| The physician will complete a thorough physical | | | | Obtaining an accurate diagnosis of the cause of |
| examination, evaluate your posture, test your | | | | sciatica pain is not always a simple process. Once |
| range of motion and note any specific | | | | the cause of your pain is determined, your |
| movements that cause pain. He will examine your | | | | physician will be able to develop a treatment plan |
| spine, note its curvature and alignment and check | | | | that is appropriate for your condition. |