Specific back pain
This term applies to back pain where there is evidence of a definite and identifiable pathological cause for the person’s symptoms.
This may be determined by physical examination and/or investigations, particularly imaging (e.g. x-rays, MRI, CT scans, where the findings support the clinical picture).
This is unlike non-specific or Mechanical Back Pain (MBP) where, in the vast majority of cases no specific or identifiable cause can be found to account for the symptoms.
The vertebral column (or spine) consists of a number of separate bones or vertebrae interspaced by the inter-vertebral discs. These discs allow curvature and movement of the spine to occur, and they probably have limited shock - absorbing qualities.
The discs consist of a tough outer ring of fibrous material (the annulus), which surrounds an inner core of gel-like material (the nucleus pulposus). This gel-like substance is enclosed under considerable pressure.
The main causes of specific back pain are:
- Prolapsed inter-vertebral disc with nerve entrapment (sciatica).
- Spinal stenosis.
- Spinal collapse (e.g. in osteoporosis - Go to link below).
- Tumours (cancers).
- Spinal infections.
- Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Specific Back Pain accounts for approximately ten to fifteen percent (10-15%) of all back pain cases. Less than one percent (1%) of people who develop back pain have a serious cause such as cancer or infection to explain their pain.
The following would indicate Specific Back Pain: -
- Pathological changes present in the back.
- Neurological signs present in the legs (e.g. absent reflexes, muscle wasting etc).
- On a waiting list for spinal surgery or had spinal surgery in the past 6 months.
Click on the link for details of:
