Call 800-774-8827 or email our Patient Advocate for an immediate evaluation and referral to a specialty trained spine surgeon.  

After an initial exam, the spine surgeon may recommend tests such as these: 

Xrays:  Xrays can show narrowed spinal channels (a condition called spinal stenosis), fractures, bone spurs or osteoarthritis.

CT Scans, MR Imaging:  Imaging tests can show soft tissues of the spine which could reveal a bulging or herniated disc. 

Bone Scans: This type of scan helps detect osteoarthritis, fractures and infections.  A small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein to be absorbed by your bones.  Abnormal areas will absorb more material and show up on a scan. 

Discogram:  This procedure confirms or rules out that a disc is the source of back pain.  Harmless dye is injected into your disc.  If the disc is damaged, the fluid will leak out and show on an Xray. 

Myelogram:  This test can help determine if you have spinal canal or spinal cord disorders such as nerve compression, which causes pain and weakness. The spinal area is numbed and a special dye injected.  This shows detailed pictures of the spine, which can reveal abnormalities.