What is differential diagnosis of low back pain?
Differential Diagnosis of Acute Low Back Pain
| Disease or condition | Patient age (years) | Quality of pain |
|---|---|---|
| Osteoarthritis or spinal stenosis | >50 | Ache, shooting pain, “pins and needles” sensation |
| Spondylolisthesis | Any age | Ache |
| Ankylosing spondylitis | 15 to 40 | Ache |
| Infection | Any age | Sharp pain, ache |
What is the differential diagnosis of low back pain in an older adult?
Two of the most common causes of lower back pain in older adults include osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis. Degeneration of joints in the lumbar spine is a common cause of back pain in older adults.
What presents as lower back pain?
Referred pain to the lumbar spine can be critical to diagnose. Abdominal aneurysm, endometriosis, tubal pregnancy, kidney stones, pancreatitis, penetrating ulcers, colon cancer — all of these may present with back pain.
Which are all common causes of low back pain?
Low back pain caused by spinal degeneration and injury.
- Muscle or ligament strain. Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments.
- Bulging or ruptured disks. Disks act as cushions between the bones (vertebrae) in your spine.
- Arthritis.
- Osteoporosis.
What is the most common benign cause of lower back pain?
Ligament sprains and muscle or tendon strains are the most common causes of lower back pain. They’re often related to overuse.
How do you diagnose lower back pain?
How is low back pain diagnosed? Your doctor will likely begin by requesting a complete medical history and conducting a thorough physical examination to determine where you’re feeling the pain. A physical exam can also determine if pain is affecting your range of motion.
What are predictors for the development of low back pain in adults?
The main predictors of back pain include physical stress (e.g., prolonged lifting, driving, forceful or repetitive movements involving the back),1–7 psychosocial stress (e.g., high perceived workload and time pressure, low control and lack of social support at work),8,9 personal characteristics (e.g., psychological …
How can I tell if my back pain is muscular or something else?
Pain that gets worse when you move, especially when bending or stretching. Difficulty standing up straight. Swelling or bruising in a specific area. Sharp or achy pain, usually limited to the lower back and buttocks area.
What is considered chronic low back pain?
Definition. Low back pain is pain, muscle tension, or stiffness localized below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without sciatica, and is defined as chronic when it persists for 12 weeks or more.
What are your differential diagnoses for acute low back pain?
Mechanical – 97%
What are your differential diagnoses?
In medicine, a differential diagnosis is a diagnosis which examines all of the possible causes for a set of symptoms in order to arrive at a diagnosis. For example, if a patient presents with a runny nose, doctors might consider causes like hay fever and colds in the differential diagnosis in an attempt to arrive…
What can you do for low back pain?
Treatment options for chronic low back pain include: Physical therapy and exercise. A physical therapy program can include exercises and techniques to strengthen muscles that support the lower back. Exercise can help ease the pain and may reduce the risk of the pain coming back.
What is treatment for lower back pain?
Treat lower back pain with a hot or cold compress. According to the NINDS, evidence suggests that using heat and ice packs can increase your mobility and reduce pain. Place a bag of ice or frozen vegetables on the tender areas of your lower back to reduce inflammation.