Sx

Low Back Pain Causes

search

Low Back Pain Causes, Differential Diagnosis of Low Back Pain

  • See Also
  1. Low Back Pain
  2. Lumbar Spine Anatomy
  3. Low Back Pain History
  4. Low Back Pain Red Flags
  5. Low Back Exam
  6. Differential Diagnosis of Low Back Pain
  7. Lumbar Disc Disease
  8. Low Back Imaging
  9. Low Back Pain Management
  10. Rheumatologic Conditions affecting the Low Back
  11. Low Back Pain in Children
  12. Low Back Pain in Teen Athletes
  • Causes
  • Mechanical (90%)
  1. Lumbosacral strain (70-90% of Acute Low Back Pain)
    1. Isolated Trauma or repetitive overuse
  2. Lumbar Spondylosis (10%)
    1. Chronic disc degeneration and secondary foraminal narrowing in over age 40 years old
  3. Lumbar Disc Herniation (5%)
    1. Occurs at L4-5 or L5-S1 in 90-95% of cases
  4. Spondylolysis (<5%)
    1. Young athletes with frequent lumbar hyperextension (e.g. gymnastics, football)
  5. Vertebral Compression Fracture (4%)
    1. Vertebral Fracture and collapse, typically due to Osteoporosis, and most commonly at L1 and L4
  6. Spondylolisthesis (3-4%)
    1. Vertebral slippage anteriorly, at L5 in 90% of cases, with Leg Pain, Paresthesias and weakness
  7. Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (3%)
    1. Narrowing of lumbar spinal canal with back pain and leg numbness, weakness better with rest
    2. Includes Cauda Equina Syndrome (requiring emergent intervention)
  8. Spondylosis
    1. Chronic disk degeneration
    2. Facet joint Arthropathy
  9. Sacroiliac Joint
    1. Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
    2. Spondyloarthropathy
  • Causes
  • Non-Mechanical
  1. See Low Back Pain Red Flags
  2. Spondyloarthropathy
    1. Ankylosing Spondylitis
    2. Reiter's Syndrome
  3. Spinal Infection
    1. Vertebral Diskitis
    2. Spinal Osteomyelitis
    3. Spinal Epidural Abscess
  4. Osteoporosis (Vertebral Compression Fracture)
  5. Cauda Equina Syndrome
  6. Spinal Neoplasm (Spine Metastases, Vertebral Metastases)
  7. Connective Tissue Disease
  8. Referred visceral pain
    1. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
    2. Pancreatic Cancer
    3. Genitourinary cancer
  • Causes
  • Referred Pain
  1. Vascular
    1. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
  2. Gastrointestinal
    1. Pancreatitis
    2. Peptic Ulcer Disease
    3. Cholecystitis
  3. Renal
    1. Nephrolithiasis
    2. Pyelonephritis
  4. Genitourinary
    1. Endometriosis
    2. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
    3. Prostatitis
  5. Skin
    1. Herpes Zoster