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Is the pain of acute onset or gradual onset? If it is acute onset, one must consider the possibility of epidural abscess, pyelonephritis, or other abdominal conditions as the cause of the back pain. If it is gradual onset, one ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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Is there a history of trauma? Patients with scoliosis and a history of trauma should be suspected of having a thoracic or lumbosacral sprain, fracture, or herniated disk.
Is the neurologic examination abnormal? Abnormal ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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Low back pain is the second most common cause of doctor visits in the U.S. and is the most common cause of disability. Up to 90% of the population will experience back pain during their lives. Studies show that, at any given time, up to 20% of... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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Scoliosis is a curve of the spine in the coronal plane (i.e., lateral curve) that is often associated with a rotational deformity as well. Kyphosis is an alteration in normal spinal curvature in the sagittal plane, and it refers to a curve with an anterior... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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Back pain is an uncommon complaint in children, but relatively more common in adolescents. Although relatively benign causes (such as muscular strain in adolescents) account for the majority of cases, some more severe causes should not be overlooked,... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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Idiopathic scoliosis often does not progress enough to require treatment and observation is sufficient. Painful scoliosis is a serious complaint, as an underlying condition may be the nidus of the curvature. Surgery is performed to fuse progressive curves greater than 50°, but surgical... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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... Nothing is more challenging to diagnose than a case of low back pain. That is why it is so important to have an extensive list of causes in mind before approaching the patient. Anatomy forms the basis for developing such a list (
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... Analgesia, the absence of sensitivity to pain, is an important sign of central nervous system disease, commonly indicating a specific type and location of spinal cord lesion. It always occurs with loss of temperature sensation (thermanesthesia) because... Emergency interventions ... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pictures
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... Back pain affects an estimated 80% of the population; in fact, it's the second leading reason — after the common cold — for lost time from work. Although this symptom may herald a spondylogenic disorder, it may also result from a genitourinary, GI, cardiovascular, or... Emergency interventions ... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations
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... Functional, mechanical causes: postural imbalance
Anteroposterior (e.g., pregnancy)
Lateral (e.g., scoliosis, unequal leg lengths)
Trauma
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... Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine that may occur in the thoracic, lumbar, or thoracolumbar spinal segment. The curve may be convex to the right (more common in thoracic curves) or to the left (more common in lumbar curves). Rotation of the... Causes and incidence ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations ... Pictures
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... Malignant spinal neoplasms may be any one of many tumor types similar to intracranial tumors; they involve the cord or its roots and, if untreated, can eventually cause paralysis. As primary tumors, they originate in the meningeal coverings, the... Causes and incidence ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations
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... Analgesia, the absence of sensitivity to pain, is an important sign of central nervous system disease, often indicating a specific type and location of spinal cord lesion. It always occurs with loss of temperature sensation (thermoanesthesia)... Emergency interventions ... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Pictures
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... Back pain affects an estimated 80% of the population; in fact, it’s the second leading reason—after the common cold—for lost time from work. Although this symptom may herald a spondylogenic disorder, it may also result from a genitourinary, GI,... Emergency interventions ... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Geriatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
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... Stephen Davis
Approach Low back pain is a common problem with many causes. The differential diagnosis can be grouped into three over-lapping categories: urgent (“red flag”) diagnoses, structural ... History ... Physical examination ... Testing ... Diagnostic assessment ... Pictures
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... Differential Overview
❑ Musculoligamentous strain
❑ Lumbar disc herniation
❑ Osteoarthritis
❑ Compression fracture
&... Diagnostic Approach ... Clinical Findings ... Pictures
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... Scoliosis, a lateral curvature of the spine, may be found in the thoracic, lumbar, or thoracolumbar spinal segment. The curve may be convex to the right (more common in thoracic curves) or to the left (more common in lumbar curves). Rotation of the vertebral column around... Causes ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations ... Pictures
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... A spinal neoplasm is any one of many tumor types that are similar to intracranial tumors and involve the spinal cord or its roots. If untreated, they can eventually cause paralysis.
Primary spinal neoplasms originate in the... Causes ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations
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... Various malformations of the spine — including spina bifida, meningocele, and myelomeningocele — result from defective embryonic neural tube closure during the first trimester of pregnancy. Generally, these defects occur in the lumbosacral area, but they&rsquo... Causes ... Signs and symptoms ... Diagnosis ... Treatment ... Special considerations ... Pictures
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... Analgesia — the absence of sensitivity to pain — can help to identify the type of nervous system lesion and determine its location. For example, thermanesthesia (loss of temperature sensation) without other sensory changes can occur because... Assessment ... History ... Physical examination ... Pediatric pointers ... Geriatric pointers ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching ... Pictures
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... Back pain affects an estimated 80% of the population and is the second leading cause of absence from work. Although this symptom may indicate a spondylogenic disorder, it may also result from a genitourinary, GI, cardiovascular, or neoplastic disorder. Postural imbalance associated with... Assessment ... History ... Physical examination ... Pediatric pointers ... Geriatric pointers ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching ... Pictures
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... Back pain affects an estimated 80% of the U.S. population; in fact, it’s the second leading reason — after the common cold — for lost time from work. Although this symptom may herald a spondylogenic disorder, it may also result from a genitourinary, GI,... History ... Physical assessment ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Geriatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
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...Although less common in children than inadults, a specific cause can frequently be identified. Principal Causes of Back Pain Congenital Spineanomalies Developmental Scoliosis Scheuermann ... Clinical Features and Diagnosis ... Diagnostic Approach ... References
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... Analgesia, the absence of sensitivity to pain, is an important sign of central nervous system disease, commonly indicating a specific type and location of spinal cord lesion. It always occurs with loss of temperature sensation (thermanesthesia) because these sensory... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching ... Pictures
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... Back pain affects an estimated 80% of the population; in fact, it's the second leading reason—after the common cold—for lost time from work. Although this symptom may herald a spondylogenic disorder, it may also result from a genitourinary, GI, cardiovascular,... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching
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Nothing is more challenging to diagnose than a case of low back pain.
That is why it is so important to have an extensive list of causes in mind
before approaching the patient. Anatomy forms the basis for
developing such a list (Table 45).
Moving... Pictures
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When breast cancer spreads it often ends up in bone. This can cause severe pain, weaken the bones and result in fractures. Learn how these bone...
There have been many advances in improving the outcome of people living with cancer. Although, many people are living longer with their disease,...
Researchers say blood from newborns' umbilical cords may prove valuable for people requiring a bone marrow transplant after high-dose...