Making the Diagnosis
Symptoms will help a doctor make the diagnosis. Your doctor will check the spine for areas of tenderness. Tests for sensation, coordination, muscle strength, and reflexes may be performed, especially when a slipped disc is suspected. Your doctor may use the straight-leg-raise test (lifting the leg to an angle of more than 60 degrees without bending the knee) to help locate the point of pain.
Other tests may include an X-ray, or scans like computed assisted tomography (CT or CAT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).