When it comes to low back pain, it’s important to get the diagnosis right. Back pain is frequently misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or lumped into broad categories that don’t identify the precise source of pain.
This is why the initial evaluation is so important.
In this final installment of the Discogenic Back Pain series, we explain exactly what to expect during an evaluation, how it differs from a typical specialist visit, and how we help guide appropriate next steps-whether or not a procedure is involved.
Catching Up? Start Here
If you haven’t read the earlier posts in the series, we recommend starting from the beginning:
- Part 1: Understanding the Common Causes of Low Back Pain
- Part 2: Discogenic Back Pain vs. Disc Herniation: Key Differences
- Part 3: Why Discogenic Back Pain Is Often Missed
- Part 4: How Platelet-Rich Plasma Can Help Discogenic Low Back Pain
Each piece builds toward what matters most: getting the right diagnosis so the right treatment can follow.
A Consultation That Respects Your Time and Your Case
When you come in for a back pain evaluation at New Regeneration Orthopedics, you won’t feel rushed. Plan on spending about 60 minutes with a Regenexx-trained physician.
This extended visit allows what most clinics simply don’t have time for: listening, assessing, and connecting the dots.
Step 1: A Comprehensive Review of Your Symptoms & History
Your evaluation begins with a detailed discussion of:
- When and how your pain started
- What makes it better or worse
- How it affects your daily activities
- What treatments you’ve already tried (and whether they worked)
Muscular pain, nerve related pain, arthritic pain, and discogenic pain all behave differently. Those patterns matter. Small details in your history can completely change the diagnostic picture.
Step 2: A Functional Spine Examination
The most important pieces to a diagnosis are the history and physical. Your consult includes a hands-on functional exam to assess:
- How you walk
- How your whole body, including your spine, moves
- What positions reproduce your pain
- Whether you have any changes in alignment, strength, sensation, reflexes, or muscle tone/activation
Diagnostic ultrasound is another tool that we often use. In the spine, it can help localize a tender structure, identify fluid in joints, and characterize soft tissue changes, among other things.
These exam findings help differentiate discogenic pain from other common causes like facet joint pain, SI joint dysfunction, stenosis, or nerve compression.
Step 3: A Deep Dive Into Your Imaging
If you’ve had prior imaging-MRI, CT, or X-ray-your physician will walk through those images with you.
The spine is a complicated, functional unit with many different structures that work together. We inspect all of these components. Specific to discs, we look closely at:
- Disc hydration and height
- Annular fissures or tears
- Endplate changes
- Findings that correlate with your pain
If additional imaging is helpful, that recommendation will be explained clearly-along with why it’s needed.
You’ll Learn the Difference Between Types of Back Pain
One of the most valuable parts of this visit? Education. Before any treatment decisions are made, your physician will explain:
- Spinal anatomy, and what type of back pain YOU are dealing with
- Why certain options may or may not be appropriate
- If you have discogenic pain, why this often doesn’t respond to “standard” care
Patients consistently tell us this is the first time their back pain has truly been explained in a way that makes sense.
If Discogenic Pain Is Suspected, What Comes Next?
If your evaluation points toward discogenic back pain, your physician may recommend one (or more) of the following:
- Further Imaging: When it adds value to decision-making and procedural accuracy.
- Physical Therapy or At-Home Exercises: Focused on spinal mechanics and symptom modification specific to you.
- Regenexx Procedures
In select cases, procedure options may include platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or bone marrow concentrate (BMAC), performed using advanced image guidance and strict preparation protocols. Important note: Not everyone will be a procedure candidate, and if you’re not, we’ll tell you honestly.
You’ll Leave With a Plan-No Matter What
Whether a Regenexx procedure is appropriate or not, you will leave your visit with next steps.
That might include:
- A targeted rehab strategy
- Guidance on activities, training, or load management
- Coordination with other providers
- A recommendation that surgery is (or isn’t) something you should be considering
Our goal is clarity and expertise, rather than pressure.
Why Our Evaluation Is Different
At New Regeneration Orthopedics, the difference isn’t just what we offer-it’s how we evaluate.
- Highly trained, board certified physicians
- Longer, in-depth consultations
- Advanced image review and functional assessment
- Evidence-guided recommendations
- A patient-first model that prioritizes appropriate care
We specialize in complex spine pain because it requires more than shortcuts.
Ready for Answers About Your Back Pain?
If you’ve been living with chronic low back pain and feel like you’re still missing real answers, a comprehensive back pain evaluation may be the next right step.
Schedule a consultation with us at New Regeneration Orthopedics to find out what’s truly driving your pain-and what options exist to help you move forward with reduced pain and improved function.
You deserve a plan that makes sense-based on your spine, your goals, and your life.
