This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

History (spine)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

When taking a history from a patient with spinal problems, the following areas should be broached:

  • pain:
    • onset, site, radiation
    • does the pain radiate to the leg as in sciatica
    • aggravating and relieving factors e.g. posture, or if neurogenic claudication appears to be the problem, is cycling easier?
    • persistent pain which occurs throughout the night should alert one to the possibility of a tumour

  • stiffness:
    • sudden and complete in disc prolapse, or continuous and worse in the morning with arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis

  • deformity:
    • onset, changes, general history, neurological features, pain

  • neurological symptoms:
    • numbness, paraesthesia; onset, progress, degree
    • spinal claudication ?

It is also important to ask specifically about weight loss, bowel, pulmonary and bladder dysfunction.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.