Dealing with Unclear Back Pain Test Results

Dealing with back pain is hard enough by itself. But when you don’t know what’s causing your pain, the problem can seem insurmountable. Back pain is a complex thing and many patients go through numerous exams and tests without landing on a concrete diagnosis. That can be frustrating, to say the least. In this patient education article we are going to talk about what to do when you receive unclear test results while you’re trying to diagnose your back pain.

Diagnostic Tests

One of our mantras is that you can’t have a successful treatment plan without first having an accurate diagnosis of what’s causing your pain. When you visit the doctor in pain, they will do many things to narrow down a diagnosis, including:

• A physical examination
• An investigation of your medical history
• Imaging tests like MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays
• Blood tests

These are all useful in guiding a physician to a diagnosis so you can start to correct the pain at its source. However, sometimes a patient will go through all of these tests and more, and their doctor will not be able to determine a diagnosis.

Dealing with the Unknown

Pain is complicated and subjective. Everyone experiences it differently – which can make a doctor’s job quite difficult. That said, if your physician cannot diagnose the cause of your pain, your best bet is to get a second or third opinion. Doctors have different specialties and experience levels. One physician might see something that another completely missed.

Inspired Spine surgery has been proven to offer the lowest pain levels, shortest recovery times, and quickest operating times compared to all other spinal surgeries. Diagnosing your back or spine pain is the first step. Once you’ve settled on a diagnosis, talk with your doctor about your treatment options and consider an Inspired Spine procedure. Many patients are hesitant to have spine surgery because they assume it will be more pain than it’s worth. But Inspired Spine procedures (the Inspired OLLIF and the Inspired MIS-DTIF) can significantly reduce your pain by solving the underlying cause in your spine. Contact us today to find out if you are a good candidate for these procedures, or find a provider in your area using our free online tool.