Low back pain

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}} Low back pain can be either an acute or chronic disabling condition. It will affect most people at some stage in their life and accounts for more sick leave taken than any other single condition.

An acute lower back injury may be caused by a traumatic event, like a car accident or a fall. It occurs suddenly and its victims will usually be able to pinpoint exactly when it happened. In acute cases, the structures damaged will more than likely be soft tissue like muscles, ligaments and tendons. With a serious accident, vertebral fractures in the lumbar spine may also occur.

Chronic lower back pain usually has a more insidious onset, occurring over a long period of time. Causes include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae, or tumors (including cancer).

Causes

Possible causes of low back pain:

• Mechanical:
  • Prolapsed intervertebal disc
  • Apophyseal osteoarthritis
  • Ankylosing hyperostosis
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Spondylolisthesis and other congenital abnormalities
  • Scheuerman's osteochondritis
  • Fractures
  • Non-specific

• Inflammatory:
  • Seronegative spondylarthritides (e.g. ankylosing spondylitis)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Infection

• Neoplastic:
  • Bone tumors (primary or metastatic)
  • Spinal tumors

• Metabolic:
  • Osteoporotic fractures
  • Osteomalacia
  • Ochronosis
  • Chondrocalcinosis

• Paget's disease

• Referred pain:
  • Pelvic/abdominal disease
  • Posture

• Depression

See also

• Back pain

External links

• Research - Acupressure Eases Low Back Pain
• Research - Acupuncture improves lower back pain compared with no treatment.
• Where does it hurt? Understanding low back pain
• Low Back Pain - American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
• Lower back pain symptoms and treatment options

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