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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. You may then be referred to a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation (physiatrist), or an orthopedic surgeon, neurologist or a neurosurgeon.
Because appointments can be brief, and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For a herniated disk, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
- Are there other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What might have caused this problem?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What treatments are available?
- What do you feel is the best course of action?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- Are there any restrictions on exercise or activity that I need to follow?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
- How likely is it that my back pain will come back, and can I prevent this from happening in the future?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Were you lifting, pushing or pulling anything at the time you first felt symptoms? Were you twisting your back?
- Have your symptoms been continuous, or occasional?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- Has the pain kept you from participating in activities you wanted to do?
- Do you have any pain that travels into your legs?
- Do you feel any weakness or numbness in your legs?
- Have you noticed any changes in your bowel or bladder habits?
- Does coughing, sneezing or straining for a bowel movement worsen your leg pain?
- What steps have you taken to treat your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Is the pain interfering with sleep or work?
What you can do in the meantime
While you're waiting to see your doctor, be sure to attempt to stay active. If you feel pain, stop doing the activity that caused the pain. It makes sense to avoid high-impact activities, such as running. Gentle activity, such as walking or swimming, is usually fine. And, it's often best to avoid staying in bed for long periods of time because you lose muscle strength, which may worsen the problem. Also, inactivity tends to delay your recovery.
If you need to take something for the pain, over-the-counter options include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve), and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). However, be sure not to exceed the recommended daily dosage. Ice or cold compresses may help reduce pain and inflammation and can be used for 20 minutes at a time. Over-the-counter topical creams containing menthol or camphor, such as Bengay, Icy Hot and Flexall, also may help control pain.
- 1. Herniated Disc. NeurosurgeryToday.org. http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/herniated.asp. Accessed Oct. 5, 2008.
- 2. Chou R. Patient Information: Low back pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
- 3. Wheeler SG, et al. Approach to the diagnosis and evaluation of low back pain in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
- 4. What is back pain? National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Back_Pain/back_pain_ff.pdf. Accessed Oct. 5, 2008
- 5. Hu SS, et al. Disorders, diseases and injuries of the spine. In: Skinner HD. Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Orthopedicas. 4th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2319599. Accessed Oct. 5, 2008.
- 6. Herniated disk. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00334&return_link=0. Accessed Oct. 5, 2008.
- 7. Chou R. Subacute and chronic low back pain: Pharmacologic and noninterventional treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
- 8. Knight CL, et al. Treatment of low acute back pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
- 9. Health care guideline: Adult low back pain. Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. http://www.icsi.org/low_back_pain/adult_low_back_pain__8.html. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- 10. Shelerud RA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 12, 2008.
- 11. Heliovaara M. Body height, obesity, and risk of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc. Spine. 1987;12(5):469-472.
