- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Caring for your Spine
Self Assessment
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Self Assessment
SELF-ASSESSMENT
People are encouraged to take more responsibility for taking care of their health and monitoring their health. National organizations are encouraging physicians to educate and motivate their patients to perform periodic self-assessments so that they can become more familiar with their bodies and help detect early problems. Early detection leads to timely intervention and greater potential for a favorable outcome.
The purpose of many self-assessment approaches is to detect a life threatening disorders such as cancer or heart disease. Additional emphasis needs to be placed on screening for conditions that can lead to chronic pain and/or disability. Spine disorders should be at the top of the list because of the potential for chronic pain and disability.
There are numerous types of self-tests that can be performed to detect early evidence of spinal cord and spinal nerve compromise. There are simple procedures for assessing spinal flexibility. Individuals who are already aware of their spinal problems are not off the hook. They also need to perform periodic self-assessments to rule out progression of their problem, to detect early evidence of complications and to screen for new problems.
Signs and Symptoms Which Should not be Ignored
There are many bodily signs and symptoms that should prompt attention. It is impossible to provide a compressive list, but symptoms associated with potentially more serious conditions are noted below some of which are related to the spine.
General Health
Spinal Health
People are encouraged to take more responsibility for taking care of their health and monitoring their health. National organizations are encouraging physicians to educate and motivate their patients to perform periodic self-assessments so that they can become more familiar with their bodies and help detect early problems. Early detection leads to timely intervention and greater potential for a favorable outcome.
The purpose of many self-assessment approaches is to detect a life threatening disorders such as cancer or heart disease. Additional emphasis needs to be placed on screening for conditions that can lead to chronic pain and/or disability. Spine disorders should be at the top of the list because of the potential for chronic pain and disability.
There are numerous types of self-tests that can be performed to detect early evidence of spinal cord and spinal nerve compromise. There are simple procedures for assessing spinal flexibility. Individuals who are already aware of their spinal problems are not off the hook. They also need to perform periodic self-assessments to rule out progression of their problem, to detect early evidence of complications and to screen for new problems.
Signs and Symptoms Which Should not be Ignored
There are many bodily signs and symptoms that should prompt attention. It is impossible to provide a compressive list, but symptoms associated with potentially more serious conditions are noted below some of which are related to the spine.
General Health
- Loss of hearing
- Disturbed or impaired vision
- Chest pain/discomfort with or without radiating pain
- Unusual bleeding or discharge of the genital, urinary or GI tracts
- Change in bowel or bladder habits
- Sore that does not heal
- Persistent cough or hoarseness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Faintness and dizzy spells
- Rapid change in a wart or mole
- Shortness of Breath
Spinal Health
- Progressive limitation of spinal flexibility
- Persistent or recurrent radiating extremity pain
- Extremity numbness or tingling
- Extremity weakness or incoordination
- Loss of balance
- Progressive difficult walking
- Exertional muscle fatigue/weakness
- Increasing positional back pain
- Shock-like sensation along the spine or extremities with head or spinal movement
- Change in bowel or bladder habits
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