COMMON CONDITIONS -  Back Pain Pointers -  
Back Pain Differential
  1. Mechanical/Musculoskeletal - discogenic, ligamentous, muscular, stenotic, facet mediated, degenerative, osteogenic
  2. ​Inflammatory - arthritic, spondylitic
  3. ​Infectious - osteomyelitis, epidural abscess, discitis
  4. ​Metabolic - osteoporosis, Padget's
  5. ​Neoplastic - multiple myeloma, cord-canal tumors
  6. ​Referred - abdominal aortic aneurysm, cancer (pancreatic, genitourinary)
Prevalence Information:
  • Idiopathic / musculoskeletal  -  prevalence 85%
  • ​Herniated disc  -  prevalence 7%
  • Compression fracture  -  prevalence 4%
  • Spondylolisthesis  -  prevalence 3%
  • Malignancy  -  prevalence of 0.7%
  • Infection  -  prevalence of  0.05%
Differential Diagnosis of Back Pain by Dr. Glick (There is more to back pain than a mere symptom)