Chronic Pain (cont.)
How is pain diagnosed?
There is no way to tell how much
pain a person has. No test can measure the intensity of pain, no imaging device
can show pain, and no instrument can locate pain precisely. Sometimes, as in the
case of headaches, physicians find that the best aid to diagnosis is the
patient's own description of the type, duration, and location of pain. Defining
pain as sharp or dull, constant or intermittent, burning or aching may give the
best clues to the cause of pain. These descriptions are part of what is called
the pain history, taken by the physician during the preliminary examination of a patient with pain.
Physicians, however, do have a number of technologies they use to find the
cause of pain. Primarily these include:
- Electrodiagnostic procedures include electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction studies, and
evoked potential (EP) studies. Information from EMG can help physicians tell
precisely which muscles or nerves are affected by weakness or pain. Thin
needles are inserted in muscles and a physician can see or listen to
electrical signals displayed on an EMG machine. With nerve conduction studies
the doctor uses two sets of electrodes (similar to those used during an
electrocardiogram) that are placed on the skin over the muscles. The first set
gives the patient a mild shock that stimulates the nerve that runs to that
muscle. The second set of electrodes is used to make a recording of the
nerve's electrical signals, and from this information the doctor can determine
if there is nerve damage. EP tests also involve two sets of electrodes-one set
for stimulating a nerve (these electrodes are attached to a limb) and another
set on the scalp for recording the speed of nerve signal transmission to the
brain.
- Imaging, especially
magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, provides physicians with pictures of the
body's structures and tissues. MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to
differentiate between healthy and diseased tissue.
- A neurological examination
in which the physician tests movement, reflexes, sensation, balance, and
coordination.
- X-rays produce pictures of the body's structures, such as
bones and joints.
Next: How is pain treated? »
- tramadol, Ultram - Read about tramadol (Ultram), a drug prescribed for chronic pain, and moderate to severe pain. Side effects, dosage, and drug interaction information included.
- Cortisone Injection - Read about cortisone injection treatment for inflammation, allergic reaction, sciatica and arthritis. Learn about side effects and complications of a cortisone shot.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis - Learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation, which has symptoms that include stiffness, fever, muscle and joint aches, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis incorporates the use of first-line drugs (aspirin and corticosteroids for pain and inflammation) and second-line drugs (methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine to prevent joint destruction and promote remission).
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