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Inside
the spine:
The spinal column is made up of five sections
and consists of 33 bones known as the vertebrae.
Get an inside look of the spine you won't
find anywhere else!
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Diagnosis / Treatments
After our treatment team reviews your films,
any additional tests, and the results of your diagnostic interview
and your medical history, we will make recommendations for
a treatment plan. You may be asked to return for a second
appointment to meet with a surgeon, physiatrist, physical
therapist, nurse practitioner, or another member of our team.
Your physician may request that additional specialized
tests be obtained. These may include MRIs, CT scans with or
without contrast (dye that shows up on these types of imaging
modalities) or bone scans. He may also recommend one of the
following diagnostic tests that our physicians perform:
Lumbar Discogram
This test is performed as an outpatient procedure at one of
the many hospitals or surgery centers with which we are affiliated
depending on your preference or insurance eligibility. Contrast
(x-ray dye) is injected into one or more of the disc spaces
in your spine and x-ray images are obtained. The physicians
use this exam to evaluate the disc itself, and pinpoint which
disc is causing the pain in your back or leg. It is often
done when certain treatments for your pain are being considered.
Electrodiagnostic Studies
These examinations are performed in our office and can be
helpful in evaluating the causes of numbness, tingling, pain,
weakness, fatigue, and muscle cramping. The two tests that
we do to study nerve and muscle function are nerve conduction
studies (NCSs) and needle electromyography (EMG).
The examinations usually take 20 to 60 minutes.
There are no restrictions on activity before or after the
testing and there are no lasting aftereffects.
Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)
NCSs test how well signals travel along a nerve and can
help find the cause of abnormal nerve function. Small electric
pulses are applied to the nerve at one site and the response
to this pulse is recorded at a different place along the nerve.
The pulses may cause a short, mild tingling feeling. We use
a recording instrument to document the nerve's response, and
this information is then measured by the physician. Several
nerves are usually tested depending on the type of problem.
Needle Electromyogram (EMG)
EMGs can help determine if there are
abnormalities in the muscle or the nerve going to that muscle.
A small needle is inserted into a muscle to record the electrical
activity of that muscle. This information is fed into the
recording instrument and the physician then analyzes it by
looking at a signal on the scope and listening to the sounds
the activity makes through a speaker.
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