Chronic Pain
How this condition is diagnosed
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Medically reviewed by Carina Fung, PharmD, BCPPS on May 4, 2020
Chronic Pain Diagnosis
Receiving a diagnosis of chronic pain usually requires seeing a pain management specialist. Aside from consulting your personal and family medical histories, a specialist will likely use the following[13] to assess your condition:- Description of your pain: A medical professional will ask about where your pain is located, what it feels like, how severe it is, and for how long it has lasted.
- Physical exam: Determining whether your pain is coming from an identifiable source generally begins with a physical exam.
- Lab tests: These can be used to examine the blood, urine, feces, or spinal/brain fluid. Testing can help rule out any hidden conditions that might be causing your pain.
- Imaging tests: These may include an MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, or X-rays. Imaging tests help ensure that all of the body’s internal structures are functioning as they should and that nothing is out of place that may be causing pain.
- Electrodiagnostic tests: These tests examine muscle and nerve function to see whether there are underlying conditions that might explain your pain.
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