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Your doctor can determine if you have a herniated disc and prescribe treatment. Describe your pain to the doctor, including where you feel it. In most cases, your doctor can make a diagnosis of a herniated disk in their office, without invasive diagnostic tests. Even if other tests need to be done, they will not be painful. Make a list of the other conditions you have so that your doctor can rule them out as the cause of your symptoms. For example, osteoporosis can cause similar symptoms. Your doctor will also need to know your family history, as having a family member with a herniated disc increases your risk of having one. Your doctor will feel along your spine to look for painful areas. They will likely ask you to change positions or move around your legs so that they can get a better idea about where your pain is located and how it’s impacting you. While it sounds scary, this is a non-invasive, painless office exam. Your doctor will check how well your reflexes work, as well as your muscle development. They will then check your balance and posture. Finally, they will check to see how well you feel sensations like pinpricks, touch, or vibration. The results will help the doctor determine if you may have a disc putting pressure on your nerves. A herniated disc can make it harder for your nerves to communicate with the rest of your body, so your body may have trouble registering pain or may get too many pain signals. The doctor will ask you to bend and move side to side at your joints. This will allow the doctor to see how limber you are and if you are able to move freely and without pain. If you have a herniated disc, it may affect your range of motion. Your doctor will have you lie back on the table. They will slowly raise your leg until you start to feel pain. If you have pain while your leg is at a 30 to 70 degree angle, then you may have a herniated disc. Additionally, if you feel pain in the other leg, it could mean you have sciatica caused by a herniated disc. This test may not be accurate if you are over the age of 60. If your doctor is not sure that your symptoms are caused by a herniated disc, they may do an X-ray to rule out other health issues, such as a broken bone or a tumor. Herniated discs will not show up on an X-ray.  The doctor can use an X-ray to look for pressure on your nerves and spine by injecting a dye into your body. This is called a myelogram. While the pressure on your nerves and spine could be caused by other conditions, it will help your doctor determine if you have compression on your nerves. Your doctor may also take a computerized tomography (CT scan), which takes a series of X-rays to create a more thorough image for the doctor to assess. An MRI lets your doctor get a closer look at your spine so that they can treat your herniated disc. Not only can they confirm the location, they can also determine how severe it is. While you will need to be still, the MRI will not be painful. Usually, you will not have to undergo nerve tests. Your doctor may do these outpatient tests if they suspect you already have nerve damage, based on your reported levels of pain. Although the tests are not painful, they may make you a little uncomfortable. An electromyogram and a nerve conduction test will send electrical impulses to your nerves to see how well they respond. This lets your doctor look for damage to the nerves.
Make an appointment with your healthcare provider. Bring a thorough medical history. Expect your doctor to check your back for tender spots. Allow your doctor to do a neurological exam. Do range of motion tests. Perform a leg raise test. Get an X-ray to rule out other issues. Undergo an MRI to locate the herniated disc and the nerves it’s pressing. Expect nerve tests if your doctor suspects nerve damage.