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Symptom: Back pain
- Introduction: Back pain
- Causes (419 conditions)
- Causes of Types
- Diagnosis Checklist (23 listings)
- Misdiagnosis
- Diagnostic Guides (Online)
- Diagnostic tests (23 listings)
- Multiple Symptom Checker
- Drug causes (253 listings)
- Videos
- Definitions
- Choose Doctor
- Classifications
- News (21 listings)
- Stories from Users
Introduction: Back pain
Back pain: Pain in the back region. See free access online books about Back pain below. See detailed information below for a list of 419 causes of Back pain, including diseases and drug side effect causes.
» Review Causes of Back pain: full list
Causes of Back pain:
The following medical conditions are some of the possible
causes of Back pain.
There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor
about your symptoms.
- Back injury
- Back strain (type of Strain)
- Strained ligaments
- Back muscle injury
- Strained back muscles
- Back muscle spasm (see Muscle spasm)
- Excessive exertion
- Excessive lifting
- Unaccustomed strain on the back
- Disc disorders
- Slipped disc
- Types of back pain:
- Sciatica - a specific type of back pain.
- Coccydynia - pain of the tailbone.
- Lower back pain
- Middle back pain
- Upper back pain
- Nerve conditions
- Spinal conditions
See full list of 419 causes of Back pain
» Review Causes of Back pain: full list
Causes of Types of Back pain:
Review the causes of these more specific types of Back pain:
- Lower back pain (53 causes)
- Middle back pain (22 causes)
- Upper back pain (15 causes)
- Backache (63 causes)
- Spine pain (3 causes)
- Back muscle pain
- Spinal pain on palpation of the spinal vertebrae (15 causes)
- Spinal pain experienced when lying still (9 causes)
- Spinal pain experienced on movement (18 causes)
- Spine Tenderness (32 causes)
See full list of 38 types for Back pain
Back pain: Multiple Symptom Checker
Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Back pain, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.
Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms
Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations
- Back pain and Pain (257 causes)
- Back pain and Nerve symptoms (248 causes)
- Back pain and Sensations (244 causes)
- Back pain and Back symptoms (224 causes)
- Back pain and Digestive symptoms (141 causes)
- Back pain and Abdominal symptoms (133 causes)
- Back pain and Sexual symptoms (122 causes)
- Back pain and Urinary symptoms (110 causes)
- Back pain and Urinary problems (105 causes)
- Back pain and Weakness (104 causes)
- Back pain and Bladder symptoms (103 causes)
- Back pain and Muscle weakness (99 causes)
- Back pain and Head symptoms (98 causes)
- Back pain and Bleeding symptoms (93 causes)
- Back pain and Abdominal pain (92 causes)
- Back pain and Fatigue (91 causes)
- Back pain and Muscle symptoms (89 causes)
- Back pain and Fever (85 causes)
- Back pain and Swelling symptoms (85 causes)
- Back pain and Death (80 causes)
See full list of 1601 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Back pain
Causes of General Symptom Types
Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:
- Back symptoms (665 causes)
- Pain (3014 causes)
- Sensations (3186 causes)
- Nerve symptoms (3495 causes)
- Common symptoms (4555 causes)
Causes of Similar Symptoms to Back pain
Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Back pain:
- Back tingling (13 causes)
- Pain (3014 causes)
- Back ache (63 causes)
- Back symptoms (665 causes)
- Burning sensations (150 causes)
- Tingling symptoms (358 causes)
- Back numbness (9 causes)
- Spinal pain (3 causes)
- Spine symptoms (496 causes)
- Sciatica
- Chest pain (536 causes)
- Lung pain
- Side pain (32 causes)
- Pleuritic chest pain (15 causes)
Diagnostic Guides for Back pain
Medical Books Excerpts Read excerpts from published book sections related to Back pain from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Back pain. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Back pain
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Misdiagnosis and Back pain
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Read more about Misdiagnosis and Back pain
Diagnostic tests for Back pain:
Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Back pain. Some of these are listed below :
- Physical examination
- General inspection - posture, gait, level of distress.
- Inspect the back, examine range of movement of the back to reproduce pain, palpation of the back
- Neurological examination of the lower limbs if symptoms extend below the buttocks
- Examine related joints e.g. hip and sacroiliac
See full list of 23
diagnostic tests for Back pain
Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Back pain. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
- When did the back pain start? - to determine if acute or chronic.
- Did the back pain start after any injury or lifting? - helps to determine cause of back pain e.g. dysfunction of intervertebral disc , back muscle strain, compression fracture of the spine, spondylolisthesis.
- Nature of the pain? - may reveal its likely origin e.g. aching, throbbing pain can indicate inflammation such as spondylitis; deep aching diffuse pain can indicate referred pain such as painful menstruation; superficial steady diffuse pain can indicate local pain such as a muscular strain; boring deep pain can indicate bone disease such as bone tumor or Paget's disease; intense sharp stabbing pain superimposed on a dull ache can indicate sciatica.
- Where is the back pain worst? - is it central or peripheral, thoracic area or lumbar area.
- Is your back pain worse when you wake in the morning or later in the day? - Inflammatory pain is worse at night and in early morning; mechanical back pain due to injury is worse at the end of the day and after activity; Continuous pain present day and night is suggestive of infection or bone tumor.
See Diagnosis Checklist for Back pain (23 listings)
Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Back pain) may include:
- Back stiffness? - if severe, prolonged and worse in the morning indicates inflammation e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis; Osteoarthritis causes stiffness at rest.
- Pain, swelling or stiffness in any other joints in the body?
- Leg pain? - may indicate compression of spinal cord or nerve roots from a disc prolapse, narrowed intervertebral foramina or bone tumor.
- Leg paresthesia? - may indicate compression of spinal cord or nerve roots from a disc prolapse, narrowed intervertebral foramina or bone tumor.
- Bladder symptoms? - should consider the possibility of a spinal cord tumor, cauda equine tumor or kidney disease.
See Diagnosis Checklist for Back pain (23 listings)
Stories from Users for Back pain
Real-life user stories relating to Back pain:
- early morning back pain
- Pain/Pressure in back of head when I laugh
- dry mouth, fatuige and joint pain for 9 months!Please somone give feed back PLEASE!!
- Can't sleep, low back pain/pressure, constipation, freq urination, more...
- serious back pain
- PRAYING DAUGHTER BACK AGAIN, my father is dying, and i need help!
- scared and all tests keep coming back neg.
- calf aches
- Help: Young but Hurting
- Various symptoms keep on disappear and coming back
- Low back pain/frequent Urination
- headaches, back pain, red spots on hands and arms
- Aches, feverish for months
- really hurting.
- Pain under left ribcage, back with diarrhea
- My daughter has had low back pain for 18 months...help!
- Hurting real Bad.
- I want my life back, Desperate
- Help back pain and im scared
- Help With Some Wierd Pain In My Back.. Dr.'s Have Not Helped!!
Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Back pain or relevant symptoms:
- Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Circulation) (171)
- Respiratory (Lungs and Breathing) (136)
- Gastrointestinal (Food - from entry to exit) (452)
- Genitourinary (The urination system) (138)
- Musculoskeletal (Muscles, joints and bones) (405)
- Neurological (Nerves) (357)
- Endocrine (Growth and Metabolism) (93)
- Sexual/Reproductive/Gynecological (456)
Videos for Back pain
Back Pain and Osteoporosis
Back pain is a common condition that many people don't take very seriously. But in some cases, back pain is just a surface symptom of a much...
Hamstring Exercises
Learn some exercises that can help ease lower back pain.
Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
Most women will survive ovarian cancer if it is detected at an early stage. But most cases are detected late. Can women rely on their bodies to tell...
Angina Evaluation
If you've been diagnosed with angina, how often you need to be monitored will depend on the severity of the angina. Tune in to learn more about...
Patient Surveys for Back pain
- Patient Profile Survey
Take Survey View Results - Survey about diseases related to your Back pain
Take Survey View Results
Causes of Back pain listed in Disease Database:
Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible
causes of Back pain as a symptom include:
- Acute intermittent porphyria
- Alkaptonuria
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Aortic aneurysm, abdominal
- Bone metastases
- Breast cancer
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Cholesterol embolism
- Chordoma
- Cobb's syndrome
- Coccydynia
- Colorectal cancer
- Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis
- Discitis
- Dysmenorrhoea
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Endometriosis
- Functional disorders
- Gemeprost
- Intervertebral disc herniation
See full list of 419
causes of Back pain
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Medications or substances causing Back pain:
The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible
causes of Back pain as a symptom.
Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using,
including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
- Chymopapain
- Chymodiactin
- Discase
- Adenosine
- Adenocard
See full list of 253
medications causing Back pain
Article Excerpts about Back pain
Back pain is a symptom that can arise from many causes. It can range from a dull, annoying ache to absolute agony. Many cases of back pain are caused by stresses on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Back Pain Information Page: NINDS)
Back pain has become the high price paid by our modern lifestyle and is a startlingly common cause of disability for many Americans, including both active and inactive people. Back pain that spreads to the leg is called sciatica and is a very common condition (see below). Another common type of back pain is associated with the discs of the spine, the soft, spongy padding between the vertebrae (bones) that form the spine. Discs protect the spine by absorbing shock, but they tend to degenerate over time and may sometimes rupture. Spondylolisthesis is a back condition that occurs when one vertebra extends over another, causing pressure on nerves and therefore pain. Also, damage to nerve roots (see Spine Basics in the Appendix) is a serious condition, called radiculopathy, that can be extremely painful. (Source: excerpt from Pain - Hope Through Research: NINDS)
Back pain is a symptom that can arise from many causes. It can range from a dull, annoying ache to absolute agony. Many cases of back pain are caused by stresses on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Back Pain Information Page: NINDS)
Back pain has become the high price paid by our modern lifestyle and is a startlingly common cause of disability for many Americans, including both active and inactive people. Back pain that spreads to the leg is called sciatica and is a very common condition (see below). Another common type of back pain is associated with the discs of the spine, the soft, spongy padding between the vertebrae (bones) that form the spine. Discs protect the spine by absorbing shock, but they tend to degenerate over time and may sometimes rupture. Spondylolisthesis is a back condition that occurs when one vertebra extends over another, causing pressure on nerves and therefore pain. Also, damage to nerve roots (see Spine Basics in the Appendix) is a serious condition, called radiculopathy, that can be extremely painful. (Source: excerpt from Pain - Hope Through Research: NINDS)
Definitions of Back pain:
Acute or chronic pain located in the posterior regions of the THORAX; LUMBOSACRAL REGION; or the adjacent regions.
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Organs affected by Back pain:
The list of organs typically affected by Back pain may include, but is not limited to:
Detailed list of causes of Back pain
The list below shows some of the causes of Back pain mentioned in various sources:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm - back pain
- Abdominal disorders
- Acute bacterial prostatitis - pain in the lower back
- Acute hemolytic state
- Acute idiopathic polyneuritis - back pain
See full list of 419 causes of Back pain
How Common are these Causes of Back pain?
This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Back pain. Of the 419 causes of Back pain that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:
- 12 causes are "very common" diseases
- 17 causes are "common" diseases
- 10 causes are "uncommon" diseases
- 1 causes are "rare" diseases
- 37 causes are "very rare" diseases
- 370 causes have no prevalence information.
See the analysis of the prevalence of 419
causes of Back pain
Conditions listing symptoms: Back pain:
The following list of conditions have 'Back pain' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Conditions listing complications: Back pain:
The following list of conditions have 'Back pain' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our free interactive user forums.
Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.
Causes of Back pain Based on Risk Factors
This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Back pain based
on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient:
Doctors and specialists: Who should I consult about Back pain?
Depending on the seriousness of the onset of Back pain, you may want to consult one of the following medical professionals.
Important:In extreme cases, always seek advice from emergency services :
- General practitioner
- Neurologist
- Orthopaedic surgeon
What are the alternative names for Back pain:
Back ache, Dorsalgia
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Classifications of Back pain:
Subtypes of Back pain:
Lower back pain (43 causes), Middle back pain, Upper back pain (2 causes), Backache (17 causes), Spine pain (3 causes), Back muscle pain, Spinal pain on palpation of the spinal vertebrae, Spinal pain experienced when lying still, Spinal pain experienced on movement, Spine Tenderness
Medical Conditions associated with Back pain:
Back symptoms (652 causes), Pain (2937 causes), Sensations (3159 causes), Nerve symptoms (3452 causes), Common symptoms (4528 causes)
Symptoms related to Back pain:
Back tingling (5 causes), Pain (2937 causes), Back ache (17 causes), Back symptoms (652 causes), Burning sensations (149 causes), Tingling symptoms (290 causes), Back numbness (1 cause), Spinal pain (3 causes), Spine symptoms (483 causes), Sciatica, Chest pain (380 causes), Lung pain, Side pain (17 causes), Pleuritic chest pain (5 causes)
Back pain as a disease:
For a more detailed analysis of Back pain as a disease, please see our Disease Center information for Back pain.
- Causes of Back pain (17 conditions)
- Medication Causes of Back pain (253 causes)
- Risk Factors for Back pain
Medical articles on signs and symptoms:
Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:
- What to tell your doctor about your symptoms
- What questions will the doctor ask about your symptoms (and why)?
- What does your doctor do in a physical examination?
- What questions should you ask the doctor about a symptom or diagnosis?
- What questions to ask the doctor about the treatment
- Steps to take to get the most out of a doctor visit
- More articles on symptoms and diagnosis
These general medical articles may be of interest:
- Medical Symptom Books
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Online Diagnosis
- Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
- Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
See full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
Medical News summaries about Back pain
Our news pages contain the following medical news summaries about Back pain and many other medical conditions:
- 76000 pounds awarded when son dies from misdiagnosis of hypercalcaemia
- AAA linked to inflammatory system
- Aches and pains are depressing
- Alternative view of health
- Aortic disease warning
Related medical articles from our Disease Center for Back pain:
- Introduction: Back pain
- Basic Summary for Back pain
- Types of Back pain
- Causes of Back pain
- Videos for Back pain
- Drug Causes of Back pain
- Risk Factors for Back pain
- Symptoms of Back pain
- Treatments for Back pain
- Prevention of Back pain
More Ways To Research Medical Signs and Symptoms:
- Symptom Center - over 2,500 symptoms listed
- Symptom List
- Symptom Descriptions
- All Symptoms
- Diseases Center - find symptom lists for over 8,000 diseases.
- Books on Medical Symptoms
- Books on Medical Diagnosis
» Next page: Causes of Back pain
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
- Causes of Back pain
- Diagnostic Guides Online for Back pain
- Misdiagnosis of Back pain
- Low Back Pain/Swelling (In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)
- Back Pain (In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms)
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