Back Pain & Disc Problem 

Read the following questions. Do not be in a hurry to answer them. Take the time to think about your answers as they pertain to your individual situation. 

• Does your back/neck pain aggravate or increase with certain movements, especially bending the spine far forward or to the side?

• Did the pain begin with an injury wherein force was applied to the spine while it was bent forward or to the side( such as lifting up something, an automobile accident, or a fall) and not while bent backwards?

• Is the pain of long-standing duration, characterized by low pain or pain-free periods punctuated by severe episodes sometimes lasting days, weeks, or months?

• Does the pain recur suddenly without trauma or exertion for seemingly no reason ( such as coughing, squatting, or even waking up with pain and loss of mobility after going to sleep without any problem)

• Does the pain recur in the same area(s) of the back?
  § Does it radiate to the shoulders, hips, or legs with a dull aching sensation that is released by massage, hot , or cold pack, but returns afterwards?

• Is the pain occasionally accompanied by numbness or tingling sensation in the arms or legs, especially when doing certain movements or remaining in uncomfortable positions?

• Does the pain increase with positions involving forward bending of the spine while pulling,pushing, lifting,coughing or sneezing ? 

• Is it aggravated by prolonged sitting or especially driving ?

• Is it relieved by lying down ?

• After prolonged forward bending, is the painful area of the spine difficult or slow to straighten up again?

• Is the pain accompanied by stiffness or decreased mobility leaving you unable to look over your shoulder or bend to the side where the pain is without your motion being stopped by the pain?

• Is the neck/back sometimes pain-free immediately upon waking from sleep but the pain returns with the process of getting within minutes after rising up from bed?

• Is the pain aggravated by repetitive activities involving frequent lifting, squatting, leaning forward, or stooping ( e.g. cleaning the floor, gardening, picking up objects)?]

• Is it aggravated by sitting with the legs stretched straight in front or propped above the level of the hips. 

• Does the pain limit your activities out of fear of increasing pain or causing it to return?

• Was it initially associated with a click or crunch at the time of injury?

• Do medicines help, but not relieve the pain?

• Is the pain associated with other systemic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus), or prior surgery?

If your answer is ‘yes’ to majority of the above questions, then you have a high probability of having back or neck pain secondary to a disc problem. If your pain is of short duration, your answers may not be ‘yes’ to many of the above questions.