What Can I Expect From A Spine Specialist? Whether you are from Singapore or other countries of the world, there is no doubt that neck and back pain is one of the most common reasons why people look for medical help, support, and attention.
For some, back pain could come once in a while and the frequency could be extremely rare. There are others who may suffer from regular episodes of back pain, neck pain, and other related problems. The more people age, the more they are likely to be impacted by this problem.
In Singapore a significant number of elderly people suffer from back pain and other related ailments. In most cases, the reason for such pain and discomfort could be tracked to some problem in the spine and the spinal cord.
Therefore, it is quite obvious many of them have to hire the services of a spine specialist. Would it not be interesting to find out the reasons why people visit spine specialists and the services that we can expect from these professionals?
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To begin with, the main objective of any spine specialist to find out the reason for the back pain. In some cases, the pain may be localized because of a sprain or other minor injury. In such cases, simple treatment like rest and some mild painkillers may do the job.
The first task of a spine specialist is to go through the entire medical history of the patient and try to zero in on some issues that could be related to the spine.
It is therefore common for these professionals to ask for a complete and comprehensive medical record and history from the patients. They would like to check on possible accidents or mishaps that may have happened many years back.
In some cases, this could lead to pressure on the spinal cord and it could also pinch the nerves leading to back pain, pain in the neck, pain in one side of the leg, weakness in the lower extremities amongst other things.
Motor and sensory evaluation is another common test and examination that can be expected from a qualified and experienced spine specialist.
Many of us know that the spine houses hundreds of small nerves and they give commands and prompts to various parts of the body including hands, legs, and other parts. They also help in controlling bowel movements and other such things.
Mortar and sensory evaluation is a vital test that finds out more about the patience balance, posture, and also the functioning of the extremities like the hands and the legs.
A resistance test is also done to find out if the extremities are able to effectively resist the downward pressure that is impacted by the doctors.
This is one of the most important of these professionals. Many patients complain of acute and chronic pain in the neck, lower back, and some other parts of the rear part of the body.
While taking the time to diagnose the cause of such pains, spine specialists also prescribe pain killers and help the patients to get relief from pain. We need to keep in mind that at times, the pain could be excruciating preventing the patients from sitting, walking, standing, and even lying down.
Any good spine specialist would like to keep surgery and operations as the last resort. They would like to treat the root cause of pain and discomfort through a combination of medication and exercises.
They may recommend the patients to a good chiropractor or physiotherapy specialist. The main objective is to reduce inflammation and to ensure that the pressure that is being impacted on the spinal cord nerves are removed so that the patient gets relief from pain and is able to get back to normal.
When all other options fail, the spine specialists may have no other option but to suggest surgeries. Most of the qualified spine specialists are also neurology specialists.
They can therefore help with surgeries that may be required to relieve pressure on the nerves and also treat various other damages and problems associated with the spine and the spinal cord.
To sum up, the role of a good spine specialist cannot be straight-jacketed and limited to certain activities and processes.
They take a holistic approach and their main objective and goal is to go into the root of the problem and identify the problem that may be causing various types of problems to the patients. Only then they recommend a line of treatment.