In order to ensure that you get the best treatment for your problem, it is very important for you to communicate your back pain symptoms thoroughly to your doctor. If your doctor does not get a clear picture of the specific back problem that you are suffering from, he/she will not be able to prepare the right treatment plan for you. This is because of the fact that as of now, we do not have any perfect definitive test that could diagnose and measure pain. The right diagnosis is subject to how clearly you explain your symptoms. Following are some of the important points to consider in this regard.

Intensity Of The Pain

Does your back pain badly? How bad? It is not possible through objective testing to get an accurate measurement of the intensity level. That is the reason why the doctor measures the intensity based on the back pain symptoms you tell. Many health care professionals use several visual assessment tools for this.

The Type Of Pain

To say that you are suffering from pain is an ambiguous statement. It does not tell anything clearly. All pain is not the same. For example, depending upon the type of pain, you may feel electrical, burning, or even a stabbing sensation. Therefore, you must explain how you feel to your doctor. Based on what you tell, the doctor will try and understand your condition better. For example, if your back pain symptoms include stiffening or tightening of back muscles, you are likely to have some posture problems.

Where Exactly Does It Hurt

The location of the pain also plays a very important role in the right diagnosis. For example, if the pain is radiating down the leg or arm, it indicates that a nerve is affected. It is probably a case of sciatica. Your doctor may use a body diagram to help you identify the exact location.

Pattern

Most of the times, you experience pain in a certain pattern. For example, there may be a specific point of time during the day when you experience severe back pain. It may be constant. You may be feeling different intensity levels at different times of the day. It may come suddenly or gradually. Sometimes, it may not have any set pattern. It may show up any time of the day. Whatever the case is, the point is to give your doctor accurate details about what exactly you are experiencing.