Intervertebral Disc Damage (Discopathy): Medical History

Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of discopathy (disc damage).

Family history

  • Are there any diseases of the bones and joints in your family that are common?

Social history

  • What is your profession?

Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).

  • Where is the pain localized?
  • How long have you had the pain?
  • Did the pain start slowly or suddenly?
  • How severe is the pain?
  • Can you please describe the pain in more detail? Is the pain more like:
    • Dull?, stabbing?, burning?, pulling?
  • Is the pain permanent, or does it also go away?
  • When does the pain occur?
    • During the day and/or at night?
    • During stress and/or at rest?
  • Was there a trigger for the pain?
    • Suddenly after an exertion?
    • Slowly increasing after previous low back pain?
    • After a wrong movement?
    • Lifting trauma, possibly combined with exposure to cold, climate change.
    • After an accident?
  • Have you been able to relieve pain by changing your posture? What posture has contributed to the relief?
  • Did you take any pain pills? Did that help you?
  • Is there a relationship between the pain and:
    • Coughing?, walking?, standing?, sitting?, lying down?
  • Is the pain respiratory, positional or food related?
  • Is the pain associated with breathing?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very mild and 10 is very severe, how severe is the pain?
  • Does the pain radiate? If so, where to?
  • Do you have any sensory disturbances/feelings?
  • Do you suffer from muscle weakness?
  • Have you noticed limited mobility?
  • Have you noticed any new onset incontinence (inability to hold urine or stool)* ?

Vegetative history including nutritional history.

  • Are you overweight? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
  • Do you suffer from sleep disorders?
  • Do you smoke? If yes, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
  • Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
  • Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
  • Do you participate in sports? If so, what sports discipline and how often per week?

Self history incl. medication history.

  • Pre-existing conditions (degenerative bone/joint changes; lumbalgias (lumbago)).
  • Accidents (e.g., whiplash of the cervical spine).
  • Operations
  • Allergies

Medication history

Caution. Three months or longer of systemic glucocorticoid therapy increases the risk of osteoporosis by 30-50 percent. This side effect does not occur with metered dose aerosol therapy, such as bronchial asthma.

* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Information without guarantee)