Low Back Pain (cont.)
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In this Article
- Low back pain facts
- What is the anatomy of the low back?
- What is the function of the low back?
- What are common causes of lower back pain?
- What are other causes of lower back pain?
- What are uncommon causes of low back pain?
- What are other symptoms and signs sometimes associated with low back pain?
- How is low back pain diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for low back pain?
- What is the outlook (prognosis) for low back pain?
- Can low back pain be prevented?
- Back Pain - Slideshow
- Understanding Sciatica Pain Slideshow
- Take the Back Pain Quiz!
- Back Pain FAQs
- Find a local Orthopedic Surgeon in your town
What are other symptoms and signs sometimes associated with low back pain?
Low back pain can cause a wide variety of symptoms and signs depending on the precise cause of the pain as reviewed above. Symptoms that can be associated with low back pain include numbness and/or tingling of the lower extremities, incontinence of urine or stool, inability to walk without worsening pain, lower extremity weakness, atrophy (decreased in size) of the lower extremity muscles, rash, fever, chills, weight loss, abdominal pains, burning on urination, dizziness, joint pain, and fatigue.
How is low back pain diagnosed?
The diagnosis of low back pain involves a history of the illness and a physical examination. It is essential that a complete story of the back pain be reviewed including injury history, aggravating and alleviating conditions, associated symptoms (fever, numbness, tingling, incontinence, etc.), as well as the duration and progression of symptoms. Aside from routine abdomen and extremity evaluations, rectal and pelvic examinations may eventually be required as well. Further tests for diagnosis of low back pain can be required including blood and urine tests, plain film X-ray tests, CAT scanning, MRI scanning, bone scanning, and tests of the nerves such as electromyograms (EMGs) and nerve conduction velocities (NCVs).
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