How accurate was your last diagnosis from Dr Google? Internet symptom checkers can be very convincing, allowing people to think they have this or that medical condition. But, for reliable diagnoses – and effective treatment – visiting a medical professional increases your chances of getting it right.
For decades, diagnostic images have been created by passing small, highly controlled amounts of radiation through the human body, capturing the resulting shadows and reflections on a photographic plate.
The MRI is a large machine that has a circular tunnel built through it, like a donut with a hole.
CT imaging is particularly useful because it can show soft tissues in addition to bones, and is now the principle imaging technique for demonstrating the lungs and abdominal organs.
Myelograms are special X-ray studies of the spinal canal, spinal cord and nerve roots.
Discography is a procedure used to determine if the intervertebral discs are the source of a patient’s pain. The test is usually done for patients with chronic back or neck pain when diagnosis by X-ray, myelogram, CT or MRI alone has not been achieved.
Initially you will be given medication to help you relax. The radiologist will then inject a local anaesthetic to numb the target area. Fluor…
An electromyogram tests the functions of the nerve roots and the way that the nerves affect muscle function. It does this by looking at how well the electrical currents in the nerves are being transmitted to the muscles. Pressure on the nerves or damage to the nerves changes the way they transmit electrical current. This shows up in the muscles as they react to the information being sent to the…
Arthritis literally means “inflamed joints” and incorporates more than 150 disorders characterised by pain, swelling, tenderness and limited movement. Such disorders can affect not only the joints, but also other connective tissues, including muscles, tendons and ligaments as well as the protective covering of internal organs. Arthritis may be caused by inflammation in a joint, be degeneration …
When an accident precedes the onset of back or neck pain, a broken bone (fracture) must be considered. The amount of force required to fracture the spine through the bone or soft tissue is quite high. Less force is required to fracture the spine of the very young (less than 8 years), those people with medical problems that decrease the strength of bone, and the very elderly. In youngsters, much…
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a very common condition of widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and multiple tender points. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons–the fibrous tissues in the body.
FMS used to be called fibrositis, implying that there was inflammation in the muscles, but research later proved that inflammation did not exist. People with this syndrome…
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