When did this pain start?

"Uhm, that's a difficult question, doc, I have had it on and off for a few years, but this time it is really bad. Yesterday it started and I can hardly move! You really need to do something, doc. Can I not just get some Xrays done, or a scan, a friend of mine had something like a Zscan, he said you could see really cool stuff.

What would you say or do next?