Sciatica is radiating, lower extremity pain and may not be associated with back pain. Several layers of muscle cover the back, and ligaments and tendons support the vertebrae, supporting posture and giving the body flexibility. It is concluded that low back pain, a disease of the. Generate differential diagnosis for the individual case. Osteitis condensans ilii in differential diagnosis of patients with chronic low back pain.
Respond to patient questions and discuss challenging presentations with other. This case highlights the physical therapy examination, intervention, and outcomes of a 32yearold, 26 weeks gestation, complaining of low back pain. They will link back to this article, and round out the discussion of. Low back pain is a symptom affecting millions of adults annually. Owing to the scarcity of pathologic evidence, there exists much perplexity as to the origin of the pain accompanying disorders in the lower part of the back, and one wonders whether the old conceptions of the sacrolumbar and sacroiliac entities are any longer adequate.
Spontaneous intracranial hypotension sih caused by spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid csf leaks produces orthostatic headaches. Differential diagnosis of spondylolysis in a patient with chronic low back pain jill theinnissenbaum, mpt, scs, atc1 william g. Low back pain is the commonest cause for years lived with disability. With age, the normal back will exhibit visible morphological changes. Medications do not relieve the constant dull ache or the intermittent sharp. The annual incidence in the adult population is 10% to 15% with a point prevalence of approximately 30% in developed countries. Information gathered from the history and administration of special tests. Low back pain is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom with many. Low back pain caused by fragility fractures in osteoporosis patients has been found to have the most signi. Osteitis condensans ilii in differential diagnosis of. Chronic widespread pain cwp is the defining feature of fibromyalgia fm, a worldwide prevalent condition. It can be seen at any period of life, from childhood to elderly. Despite the availability of modern diagnostic tools, the cause of the pain generator is often unidentifiable. Specific causes of lbp are uncommon, and in approximately 90% of patients a specific generator cannot.
Pdf differential diagnosis of low back pain researchgate. Low back pain lbp is the most common musculoskeletal condition affecting the adult population, with a prevalence of up to 84% 1. The patients must be evaluated for the risk factors of plo, and an appropriate therapy must be initiated. Low back pain that has been present for longer than three months is considered chronic, although there is still no consensus about the definition of clbp. These structures may be causing direct or referred pain patterns. The treatment of acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain are discussed separately. Differential diagnosis of low back pain sciencedirect. Nov, 2014 the issue of low back pain lbp is as common as it is perplexing. Feverweaknesssyncopealtered mental statusseizuredizziness and vertigoheadachesore throatdyspneachest painabdominal painnausea and vomitinggastrointestinal bleedingacute pelvic painback pain causes of back pain key historical findings onset acute onset. Jan 14, 2016 cardinal presentations this post is part of a series called cardinal presentations, based on rosens emergency medicine 8th edition. Low back pain patient information jama jama network. Assessment of back pain differential diagnosis of symptoms. An accurate diagnosis is essential for both acute and chronic low back pain conditions.
Differential diagnosis of endometriosis in a young adult. Japanese orthopaedic association assessment criteria guidelines manual. Lbp is thought to be a chronic issue in approximately 10% of the u. Particular emphasis is placed on the differential diagnosis of specific and nonspecific low back pain.
Low back pain lbp is posterior trunk pain between the ribcage and the gluteal folds. Our personal files were used for additional references. Low back pain is the leading cause of long term disability worldwide. Low back pain lbp is second only to upper respiratory problems for physician visits each year, with a lifetime prevalence of 70% to 85%. Approximately two thirds of patients with low back pain lbp also report leg pain 1,2. Mechanical low back pain american family physician. Your back is made up of bones the vertebrae,or spinal column, which protects your spinal cord and muscles. To present a contemporary view of the epidemiology, classification, and differential diagnosis of low back pain. Lower back pain persists on a daily basis and increases with bending and twisting. Classification, diagnosis, and treatment of low back pain. Pdf on dec 1, 2002, hazel jenkins and others published classification of low back pain find, read. Pain in the lower back area that can relate to problems with the lumbar spine, the discs between the vertebrae, the ligaments around the spine and discs, the spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, or the skin covering the lumbar area.
Patient strained lower back unloading a truck, which required lifting heavy boxes, twisting and placing boxes on flats three years ago. It also includes lower extremity pain that results from a low back disorder sciaticaradiating low back pain, whether there is trunk pain or not. Back pain is the primary cause of disability in people of age. Pdf low back pain is a symptom affecting millions of adults annually. Liddle, md assistant professor of orthopedics assistant professor of internal medicine vanderbilt university medical center nashville, tn. Mechanical low back pain refers to back pain that arises intrinsically from the spine, intervertebral disks, or surrounding soft tissues.
Plo must be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with low back pain during or after pregnancy. Feb 15, 2012 diagnosis and treatment of acute low back pain. Examples of nociceptive pain include pain after surgery, arthritis pain, mechanical low back pain, and pain associated with sports injuries. In europe and the usa the lifetime prevalence is 60%, and 35% of the population suffer from back pain at least once a year. The acute back pain is usually benign in nature in 90 % of cases.
The current management of lumbar spondylolisthesis. Differential diagnosis and physical therapy management of. A 26yearold male sought physical therapy services via direct access secondary to a flareup of a chronic low back pain condition. The issue of low back pain lbp is as common as it is perplexing. Chronic lbp clbp is a chronic pain syndrome in the lower back region, lasting for at least 12 weeks 2. Differential diagnosis and recovery of acute bilateral foot drop in a patient with a history of low back pain. Sep 05, 2018 osullivan pb, phyty gd, twomey lt, allison gt. Adult with low back pain or back related leg symptoms for pain radiating. Acute episodes of back pain are usually selflimited.
Back pain can be caused by problems with the muscles, the bones, or the nerves in the back. Table 1 presents the differential diagnosis of acute low back pain. The etiology of low back pain may be difficult to determine at times because of the number of diverse anatomic structures located in or near the low back region. Many authors suggest defining chronic pain as pain that lasts beyond the expected period of healing, avoiding this close time criterion.
Diagnosis and characters of nonspecific low back pain in japan. The relief of unilateral painful thoracic radiculopathy. Once the possibility of serious spinal pathology red flags or other nonspinal reasons for the leg pain are ruled out, the differential diagnosis is between leg pain due to nerve root involvement sciatica or nonspecific referred pain from other structures in the low back. This discussion will focus on an approach to the initial evaluation, including diagnostic tests, of a patient presenting with low back pain in the primary care setting. Differential diagnosis refers to the methods by which we consider the possible causes of patients clinical findings before making final diagnoses. The icd diagnosis of low back pain low back strainlumbago and the associated icf diagnosis of acute or subacute low back pain with related cognitive or affective tendencies are made with a reasonable level of certainty when the patient presents with the following clinical findings 112, 124, 6, 183, 318. Acute back pain clinical features and differential diagnosis. Although upper arm pain or paresthesia is reportedly associated with sih from spontaneous spinal csf leak in the presence of orthostatic headache, low thoracic radicular pain due to spontaneous spinal csf leak unassociated with postural headache is extremely. With spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis, the patient will usually complain of increased pain with hyperextension of the lower spine. Management guidelines endorse triage to identify the rare cases of low back pain that are caused by medically serious pathology, and so require diagnostic workup or specialist referral, or both. Fewer than 2 percent of patients have disc herniation. Back pain is a common presentation to the emergency department. Pain in the lower back area that can relate to problems with the lumbar spine, the discs between the vertebrae, the ligaments around the spine and discs, the spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, or the skin covering the lumbar area low back pain.
Cross sectional data from the yamaguchi low back pain study conducted. What is the source of chronic low back pain and does age play a role. It should be considered as a differential diagnosis when confronting a patient with compatible radiographic findings and persistent back pain. Firm manual pressure applied to the muscle and elicited feedback from the patient appears to be the only means to establish the diagnosis. Low back pain lumbar back pain is defined as pain in the back from the level of the lowest rib down to the gluteal fold, with or without radiation into the legs. Confirmation of pain originating from the pseudoarticulation can be made with steroid injections.
Preventive back exercises, techniques of manual medicine, and. There are three types of etiologies of the occurrence of low back pain. Nov 01, 2010 therefore with bilateral spondylolysis or bilateral fractures the vertebral pedicle slips anteriorly. Acute back pain has wide differential diagnoses, ranging from benign, selflimiting conditions to lifethreatening conditions. Last, md, mph, and karen hulbert, md, racine family medicine residency program, medical college of wisconsin, racine, wisconsin m ost primary care physicians can expect to see at least one patient with low back pain per week. Fig 2 illustrates the differential diagnoses for lbp as defined in this study. Nonspecific low back pain affects people of all ages and is a leading contributor to disease burden worldwide. Differential diagnosis arthritis anemia spinal stenosis narrowing of the spinal canal causing leg or lower back pain thrombophlebitis blood clots in the deep veins of the legs peripheral neuropathy nerve damage in the legs and feet, usually in people with diabetes. Bertolottis syndrome is a frequent anomaly which can be related to lower back pain. Pdf low back pain is among the major problems of daily clinical practice. Back pain is the primary cause of disability in people pdf only article. When caring for a patient and developing a back pain differential diagnosis, remember to consider age, the history, physical exam findings, laboratory results, and imaging if needed. Diagnosis and management of acute low back pain american. Some occupations, such as heavy lifters, miners and truck drivers, have an increased prevalence of back pain due to repetitive mechanical strain to the back.
Chronic widespread pain is, however, not pathognomonic of fm, and other conditions may present similarly with cwp, requiring consideration of a differential diagnosis. Plo is a rare clinical condition causing significant disability. Some society journals require you to create a personal profile, then activate your society account. The etiology of low back pain may be difficult to determine at times because of the number of diverse anatomic structures located. An episode of low back pain is called acute if it has arisen for the first time in a patients life, or after a pain free interval of at least six months, and lasts no longer than. Thus, idiopathic low back pain cannot be directly related to the morphological picture, but is influenced by many factors related to ligaments, discs, muscles and nerves. It analyzes in detail the efficiency of various treatment modalities for chronic low back pain in the context of evidencebased medicine and the efficacy of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Low back pain lbp is the fifth most common reason for physician visits, which affects nearly 6080% of people throughout their lifetime. Next, the differential diagnosis between predominant nociceptive and central. Differential diagnosis of spondylolysis in a patient with. This includes lumbosacral muscle strain, disk herniation. Differential diagnosis of low back pain n mechanical low back or leg pain 97% n lumbar strain, sprain 70% n degenerative processes of disks and facets, usually agerelated 10%. Thus, in the differential diagnosis of low back pain, we must consider.
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