Back Disorders

Question 1

What is discogenic back pain?

Answer 1

by low back pain with or without the concurrence of

lower limb symptoms in the presence of radiologically-confirmed degenerative disc disease.

Question 2

What are the causes of back pain?

Answer 2

• mechanical (97%): lumbar strain (most common), disc pain

- systemic (

Question 3

what is the pathophysiology of discogenic back pain?

Answer 3

Degenerative changes follow a loss of hydration of the nucleus pulposus and lead to a cascade of
events at a cellular level. Disc degeneration results in inappropriate stress concentrations during loading, formation of circumferential or radial tears within the annulus fibrosus, release of inflammatory agents, and sensitisation of the pain nociceptors that are located inside the annulus.

Question 4

What are red flags for back pain?

Answer 4

• Systemic ailments, including fever, chills, night sweats, and/or unexplained weight loss (infection/ malignancy)
• Profound or progressive neurological deficit
• Trauma/high-speed injury
• Older age
• Prolonged corticosteroid drugs
• IVD
• Cancer Hx

Question 5

What are DDx of non-specific back pain?

Answer 5

• Spinal stenosis
• Sciatica
• Cauda equina syndrome
• Spinal neoplasia
• Abscess
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Compression fracture
• Pyelonephritis
• SIJ pathology

Question 6

What are DDx of discogenic back pain?

Answer 6

• Spinal tumour
• Spinal infection
• Postural back pain
• SIJ pathology
• Referred pain