Your physician will observe your posture while you are standing, sitting, walking, and bending. If there are differences between the right and left sides, these will be taken into consideration. General skin and muscle condition is also observed, looking for color, scars, bruising, and shape. Palpation is another part of the examination. Your physician will palpate or feel the body, looking for tenderness, swelling, or warmth.
Movement is evaluated to test joint function and muscle strength.
The MRI scan is the most common test used in diagnostic evaluations of the spine. The MRI scanning machine uses magnetic waves instead of radiation and provides 3-dimensional views of the structures in question. The MRI images show the vertebrae and soft tissues such as ligaments, cartilage, tumors and discs. You will be placed inside a scanning chamber, which can sometimes make you feel closed in or claustrophobic. The only discomfort involved in this procedure is if a dye is injected to help visualize the tissues.