Evaluation of a new spine patient

Back and neck pain are among the most prevalent and commonly disabling conditions affecting the population and can be multifactorial in etiology. The proper management of these conditions begins with a comprehensive new patient evaluation. In this chapter, we will discuss the initial evaluation of the patient with spine pain. We will focus on aspects of history-taking, physical examination, and clinical decision making. Finally, we will briefly review some clinical syndromes commonly responsible for back and neck pain and how they classically present on evaluation.