Following are some of the ways doctors diagnose<unk> s: Medical history and physical exam * Medical history (the patient tells the doctor about an injury). For<unk> s the medical history includes the patient's age, dominant hand, if injury affects normal work/activities as well as details on the actual<unk>  including acute versus chronic and the presence of<unk>  catching, instability, locking, pain, paresthesias (burning sensation), stiffness, swelling, and weakness. Other salutary information includes OPQRST (onset, palliation/provocation, quality, radiation, severity, timing) and a history of issues that could lead to referred pain (pain felt at the<unk>  but actually coming from another part of the body) including cervical spine disorders, heart attacks, peptic ulcer disease, and pneumonia. Standardized questionnaires like the Penn<unk>  Score that assess<unk>  pain and function can aid in eliciting the required history to make a diagnosis and monitor condition progression. * Physical examination of the<unk>  to feel for injury and discover the limits of movement, location of pain, and extent of joint instability. The steps to elicit this information are inspection (looking), palpation (feeling), testing range of motion, and performing special maneuvers. Information collected on inspection are asymmetry, atrophy, ecchymosis, scars, swelling, and venous distention. Palpation can help find pain and deformities, and should specifically include the anterior glenohumeral joint, acromioclavicular joint, biceps tendon, cervical spine, coracoid process, scapula, and sternoclavicular joint. Range of motion tests external and internal rotation, abduction and adduction, passive and active weakness, and true weakness versus weakness due to pain. The Apley scratch test is the most useful: touch opposite scapular by reaching behind the head for adduction and external rotation and behind the back for abduction and internal rotation. Finally, there are more specific maneuvers that can home in on a diagnosis, however their accuracy is limited. Diagnostic tests * Tests to confirm the diagnosis of certain conditions. Some of these tests include: * X-ray * Arthrogram—Diagnostic record that can be seen on an X-ray after injection of a contrast fluid into the<unk>  joint to outline structures such as the rotator cuff. In disease or injury, this contrast fluid may either leak into an area where it does not belong, indicating a tear or opening, or be blocked from entering an area where there normally is an opening. * MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)--A non-invasive procedure in which a machine produces a series of cross-sectional images of the<unk> . * Other diagnostic tests, such as injection of an anesthetic into and around the<unk>  joint.
Shoulder problem
Rotator cuff tear
Ankle problems
Low back pain
Back injury
Round ligament pain
Back pain
Middle back pain