Pain Assessment

The key to proper pain management is finding the root cause

Pain Assessment

A pain assessment allows us to do exactly that, find the root cause and give you a diagnosis. The assessment consists of a thorough history, physical examination and any other special testing required to find the answer to the pain you’re experiencing.

The history is the detective work; it starts to point us in the right direction. Understanding all the symptoms requires a conversation between doctor and patient. The history helps to identify if any red flags are present and understand you and your full health history.

The physical examination includes: full observation of posture and gait patterns to understand function; range of motion screen to understand available movement; neurological examination to identify if there is any nervous system involvement; orthopaedic testing to evaluate musculoskeletal impairment; and palpation to understand what exact anatomical structures are affected.

If more information is still needed to understand the clinical picture, then diagnostic imaging and special tests may be ordered. This might include studies like x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs and complete blood work analysis. Whatever is required to come to a diagnosis will be done.

Getting the right diagnosis means getting the right treatment
– Dr. Lou