One-stop back pain diagnosis

SpineCare takes you through a series of assessments and tests to investigate the cause of your back pain, neck pain or sciatica.

We have outlined below all the stages involved in the diagnosis of your back pain. In most cases the entire process should take place in one day, within one hospital. Though you may need to return for a second visit to have your consultation with your spinal surgeon or neurosurgeon.

Questionnaire

You will be sent a questionnaire when you make your appointment to complete at home. This will help us understand the history of your back condition and give us background information for our assessments.

Physiotherapy assessment

Your physiotherapist or specialist nurse will review your questionnaire with you and establish a more complete history of your back condition. They will then undertake a physical examination to determine the source of your pain, your reflexes and your range of movement, and discuss their findings with you.

Your physiotherapy assessment should take around 40 minutes.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning

After your physiotherapy assessment, the next step is an MRI scan to look for any internal injuries or conditions. MRI scanning takes two-dimensional and three-dimensional pictures of the inside of your body using a large magnet, radio waves and a computer.

An MRI scan is extremely useful in diagnosing problems with your spine and muscle in your back.

You will be given an MRI scan as part of your SpineCare assessment unless there is a specific reason why you should not. Reasons why you may not have an MRI scan include any metal objects within your body, such as a pacemaker or any metal clips, plates or pins.

The MRI scan should take 30 to 40 minutes. When it is complete an MRI radiologist will analyse the images and send a report to your consultant.

Consultation with a spinal surgeon or neurosurgeon

Your consultant will discuss the results of your MRI scan and your physiotherapist assessment with you, and will also conduct their own assessment. 

Your consultant will then deliver a diagnosis and treatment plan for you. He or she will take the time to explain these to you, and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

Your treatment plan may involve further tests and/or treatment with a physiotherapist, the spinal surgeon, or another member of the BMI SpineCare multidisciplinary team. In this case you can be referred immediately within the same BMI hospital if you wish.

You may also be offered immediate pain relief in the form of a caudal epidural or trigger point injection. These may be administered on the day of your consultation under local anaesthetic, or you may return for an appointment on the next available operating list to have these performed under sedation. For more information on non-surgical treatments for pain relief please click here.