Aetiology by age at presentation
A probable aetiology of back pain can be classified according to the patient’s age (1):
- 15-30 years:
- postural
- mechanical
- prolapsed disc
- trauma
- fracture
- ankylosing spondylitis
- pregnancy
- 30-50 years:
- postural
- degenerative joint disease
- prolapsed disc
- discitis
- spondyloartropathies
- >50 years:
- postural
- degenerative
- osteoporotic collapse
- Paget’s disease
- metastatic malignancy:
- lung
- breast
- prostate
- myeloma
- referred pain:
- cardiac pain
- aortic aneurysm
- pancreatitis
- spinal stenosis
- cauda equina tumors
- spinal infarction
- non-specific back pain is common in all age groups
Reference:
1. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2009. Low back pain – Early management of non-specific low back pain
Related pages
- Mechanical
- Prolapsed intervertebral disc
- Wedge compression fracture
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
- Pregnancy
- Spondylolisthesis
- Seronegative arthritis
- Discitis
- Osteoporosis
- Paget's disease of bone
- Lung cancer
- Breast cancer
- Prostatic carcinoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Angina pectoris
- Myocardial infarction
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Acute pancreatitis
- Spinal stenosis
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Anterior spinal artery infarction
- Non-specific back pain
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