Low Back Pain Flashcards
What does the low back usually refer to?
Lumbar region of spine and sacrum
What is the most common cause of low back pain?
Benign
What are most benign causes of low back due to?
Degenerative or mechanical problems relating to lumbo-sacral spine
Often produced by too much strain
What is the most common presentation of low back pain?
Non-specific
Usually confined to lumbo-sacral region
Made worse by activity
Improves with rest
What can degenerative back pain be associated with?
Radicular pain due to nerve root irritation
Which nerve roots are typically irritated low back pain?
L5 or S1
What is nerve root irritation often referred to as?
Sciatica
What is the presentation of central stenosis of the spine?
Starts in low back
Radiates down to buttocks and into back of legs on both sides
Made worse by walking
Relieved by bending forward
What are serious causes of low back pain?
Malignancy
Compression fracture
Infection/inflammatory disorder
Referred pain from visceral structure
What can a compression fracture be secondary to?
Osteoporosis
What is radicular pain?
Radiates into lower extremity directly along course of spinal nerve root
What can cause radicular pain?
Compression, inflammation, and/or injury to spinal nerve root, due to
- Herniated disc
- Foraminal stenosis
- Peridural fibrosis
What is sciatica?
Leg pain originating from low back > travels through buttocks and down sciatic nerve
What are the red flags for back pain?
Age >50 years and <20 years
History/suspicion of cancer
IV drug use
Symptoms of/risk factors for systemic diseases
Sciatica/neurological defect
Pain not relieved by rest
Pain over one month’s duration unresponsive to routine therapies
Why is IV drug use a red flag for back pain?
Bacteria can seed in vertebral bodies
Abscesses can form in epidural spaces
