After developing a complete history, your doctor will give you a physical exam to rule out possible causes of pain and try to determine the source of your problem. The areas of your body that will be examined depend upon where you are experiencing pain (neck, lower back, arms, legs, etc.).
During the exam, the doctor will look at your back to find out how well it is functioning.
Your doctor will look at your back to find out
- about your alignment and posture
- how well you can bend and move in all directions
- how well you can turn your trunk side to side
- if there is tenderness around your back
- if there are spasms in your back muscles
When examining the nerves that leave the spine, the doctor can check for
- numbness in the arms and hands
- function of the reflexes
- strength of the muscles in the arms, hands, and legs
- signs of nerve irritation
