Abstract
A detailed history and pain assessment for the patient suffering from thoracic pain is essential for proper diagnosis and management of various conditions involving the thoracic spine. Analysis of the pain nature, location, onset, severity, precipitating, and relieving factors should be done. A detailed physical examination including inspection and palpation of the thoracic spine, chest wall, ribs, and abdomen should be done. A focused musculoskeletal and neurological exam is particularly required. Imaging studies such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans might be needed. The correlation of the symptoms with the imaging findings should be done by the clinician to reach a proper diagnosis.
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Benzon H, Srinivas NR, Fishman SM, Liu S, Cohen SP, editors. Essentials of pain medicine. 3rd ed. ISBN: 978-1-4377-2242-0. 2011
Fishman SM, Ballantyne JC, Pathmell JP, editors. Bonica’s management of pain. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, 2010
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Tolba, R. (2017). Thoracic Spine History and Physical. In: Pope, J., Deer, T. (eds) Treatment of Chronic Pain Conditions. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6976-0_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6976-0_8
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