Telemedicine and Spinal Surgery
COVID-19 has changed the way healthcare has been provided in 2020 - for better and for worse. The fast introduction, adoption, and acceptance of telemedicine has allowed patients with acute issues to receive care without potentially compromising their health further by entering “hot spots”, such as hospitals. However, while a great many things can be learned about patient health history and self-reported issues, only so much can be gathered when a doctor is evaluating you through a digital camera over the internet.
The Physical Exam
While it might be possible to gather certain health information by acquiring in-home testing tools (such as those for measuring blood sugar, blood pressure, and temperature), a great many other health issues require physical exams by a trained professional.
When addressing neck and back pain, a physical, hands-on evaluation can provide additional context to help properly diagnose and provide treatment options. It is challenging for us to evaluate your balance, strength, and range of motion via video conference.
All of these diagnostics are crucial to determining the proper course of treatment to reduce your neck and back pain. If you are nervous about visiting a doctor’s office in person, do your best to keep a journal that will help the doctor learn the most about your condition.
Topics to Keep in Your Medical Journal:
Pain description: Is the pain sharp, dull, stabbing, aching, or other?
Location: Where is the pain? Is it in multiple parts of your body? Does the pain shoot anywhere?
Frequency: How often are you feeling pain? Is it constant or intermittent?
Variables: What activities improve or worsen the pain?
Timing: When is the pain better or worse? Morning or night? Before or after activity?
Treatments and their impact: What medications, activities, or interventions have you used to treat your pain, and how effective were they on a scale of 1-10 (1 being no impact, 10 being total pain relief).
When to See a Doctor
If your pain has lasted longer than 2 weeks
If your pain is severe and doesn’t respond to over-the-counter pain medications or subside with the application of heat or cold
If you’re experiencing shooting or sharp pain that spreads across the body
If you’re experiencing numbness or tingling
If your pain interferes with basic mobility in your head, neck, arms, back, or legs
As much as we would all like COVID-19 to end, the future is uncertain. Please call our office to schedule an appointment if you feel overwhelmed with pain and would like to consider treatment with Dr. Hope.