A medical history helps the doctor understand your back pain and how your type of life style may have contributed to it. He will perform simple tests for flexibility and muscle strength and check for pain and numbness in your legs or feet. To confirm your diagnosis and locate the source of your pain, your doctor may order certain tests. X-rays show the vertebrae of the spine. Vertebrae that are too close together could indicate a degenerated or possible herniated disk.
Myelograms are special x-rays of the spine.
A special dye is used to highlight your nerves. CT and MRI are special imaging tests. They confirm which disk is damaged. EMG's measure the electrical activity of your muscles' contractions. They show muscle or nerve damage.