First during the exam, the doctor will get the identifying data such as name, age, and occupation.
The doctor will get the source of referral, the source of history, whether or not it came from the patient, or a guardian and the chief complaint, which is the reason that the patient came into the office in the first case.
During the history the doctor will ask many questions.
Onset is where the symptoms are located, when did they begin, gradual or sudden, what time of day are they worse, what caused the symptoms, have they changed with time, have there been any new symptoms associated with them, how is progressed and how long has it been since the patient has felt well.
The doctor will also ask the patient what makes the pain better or worse.
For example, does lifting, bending, reaching, sitting, drugs, ice, rest, etc.
make it better.
The doctor also needs to know what type of pain it is.
Is it burning, stabbing, tingling, etc.
The patient will need to inform the doctor if the pain is radiating, if it radiates into an extremity or a distal body part.
The physician will establish the pattern and quality of pain because different structures produce different pain patterns.
The doctor will refer to a dermatome pain chart.
Whether the pain is radiating, shooting, stabbing and well demarcated.
The area of sensation is attributed to a particular nerve root level.
Myogenous pain is pain referral within a muscular or facial tissue.
Scleratogenous pain is ligament pain and is dull, achy, diffuse and difficult to pinpoint.
This is referred pain from somatic structures; cartilage, ligament, joint capsule or bone.
If the pain is bilateral and the patient is diabetic, the doctor can suspect vascular polyheuropathy.
If the pain is in the right and left hand and middle finger the doctor could suspect something related to the cord.
If it bilateral, it could also be the cord.
If the painis unilateral, the doctor can suspect an IVF encroachment and if it is more than one dermatome it could be the brachial plexus.
If the fingers feel thick, suspect vascular TOS.
Check with your local chiropractor in Schaumburg.