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Palpation of the lumbar spine

Authoring team

Localised tenderness in the lumbar spine may be caused by damage to:

  • muscle - either trauma to the muscles or as a result of protective spasm
  • ligament - sprains or rupture
  • bone - fractures of e.g. transverse process, spinous process or body of vertebra
  • intervertebral disc - a prolapsed disc may cause localised pain as well as referred pain

Special attention is paid to tenderness at the lumbosacral junction. A sprain of the sacroiliac joint results in tenderness alone; in cases of lumbosacral junctional spondylolisthesis tenderness may be accompanied by a palpable step.

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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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