About 80% of Americans experience back pain or neck pain, and in many cases, a doctor can’t understand why. An orthopedic and spine specialist is an expert in the musculoskeletal system and issues with the spine, so this professional is more capable of identifying causes of back pain and any issues with the spine. You might have to see one if you’re experiencing such an issue, especially if it has lasted over three months.

A long-lasting health issue is a chronic one. Long-lasting back or neck pain may be a sign of a long-lasting health issue and a good reason to go see a spine specialist. You might see one if you’re experiencing bowel/bladder issues or leg/feet pain or numbness, or if you’ve already attempted to address your back pain (like with physical therapy) and the treatment didn’t work. See a spine specialist if your back pain has been affecting the quality of your life at all.

When you consult with a orthopedic doctor, you’ll provide details about your personal and family health histories, your allergies, previous surgeries (if any), and current medications. You may also be presented with a pain diagram to help you identify the location and type of pain you’re experiencing. You’ll then be asked about your symptoms, like when they began, what the onset was like, and how they affect your everyday life. After, the specialist will provide a physical exam and a neurological exam which may entail walking back and forth, balancing, resistance exercises, a sensation test, and a reflex test.

All this information will help the specialist make a diagnosis and determine the next step in your care. This next step may be further diagnostic testing with diagnostic imaging, or treatment.

To help you prepare for your appointment with the orthopedic specialist, here’s a list of some questions you should consider asking. Such questions will help the specialist with diagnosis and determining the right course of treatment for you. Considering asking:

• What do I need to know about my diagnosis?
• What do you recommend for treatment?
• What noninvasive or only minimally invasive treatment options are there? (Like physical therapy, pain medications, steroid injections, etc.)
• What are the benefits of the treatments we’ve discussed?
• What are the risks of the treatments we’ve discussed?
• What could I expect if I don’t proceed with treatment?
• What is your experience with the treatment you’re recommending?
• What kind of surgery are you recommending? (If applicable.)

You can bring in a list of questions when you come see a specialist here at The Orthopedic Group.

You can find one over here at The Orthopedic Group! We have multiple specialists and multiple locations in Leesburg, Lansdowne, and Stone Springs, and we serve surrounding areas too. Please see our Locations page for the location near you, its address, and its phone number, then call us at that location if you believe you may need our care. You can also book a consultation with us from that page. We serve patients from Leesburg VA, Lansdowne VA, Stone Springs VA, Dulles, VA, Ashburn VA, Sterling VA, Aldie VA, South Riding VA, Herndon VA, Winchester VA, Reston VA, and Chantilly VA.

We hope you found this Q&A helpful and that we see you soon here at The Orthopedic Group!