Patient Education: Symptoms of Back and Neck Pain
Description of the Symptoms of Back and Neck Pain
The word doctor comes from the Latin root "doctos" – meaning to teach, and this is an important part of what any doctor should do. Unfortunately, many of us only really begin to learn about our body once something has gone wrong with it. Patient education on the symptoms of back and neck pain is an ongoing process that takes on many forms.
Back and Neck Pain Conditions Treated
Patient education applies to all spinal problems concerning the symptoms of back and neck pain.
What Does Patient Education Involve?
- The basics of patient education involve providing patients with information about their condition, diagnostic tests that may be performed, and possible treatment options.
There are many forums for patient education, which include discussions with care providers, reading brochures and other printed materials, viewing videos and visiting websites. For patients experiencing symptoms of back and neck pain, an educational program called "back school" may be used. This is a comprehensive, organized session in which information is provided about anatomy, body mechanics, diagnostic tests, treatments and many other spine-related topics.
- One note of caution: The quality and accuracy of information on websites varies greatly. If you read something that gives you concern, discuss it with your care provider.
One of the key components of effective patient education is for the patient to take an active role in the educational process:
- This involves applying the materials learned by making lifestyle changes.
- Perhaps one of the most important aspects is for patients to ask questions until they feel confident they understand the information provided answers their questions about the symptoms of back and neck pain.