Diagnostic Assessment of Pain Drawings in Low Back Pain

Kim, Jong Oh

Abstract

There have been many recent advances in the clinical and basic sciences concerring the causeand cure of back pain and sciatica. Pain drawings has improved our diagnostic acumen and clinical evaluation in same speed ofmodern diagnositic equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Adequate pain drawings obtained from 100 patients who was treated for a low back disorder from October 1993 to September 1994. An initial dignostic impression was made at a glance over the pain drawing into five diagnostic group and the results were compared with the final diagnosis after treatment with magnetic resonance image(MRI). One helpful strategy in diagnosing cause of back and leg pain syndrome is to assign patientsto one of five diagnostic groups. These are (1) benign etiologies (2) radicalopathy from herniated disk (3) radicalopathy seconday to spinal stenosis (4) serious underlying disorders and (5)behavioral disorders. The initial impressions were 7 benign back pains, 55 disc herniation, 20 spinal stenosis, 15significant underlying disorder and 3 psycogenic back pain. The final diagnosis were 61 disc herniation, 17 spinal stenosis, 12 underlying disease, 7 degenertative disease, 3 psychogenic disorder. Concerning the disc herniation, spinal stenosis, psychogenic disorder there were significant relationship between the initial impression and the final diagnosis. Pain drawings afford an important clue to disc herniation, psycogenic disorder in the assessment of back pain.