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10 Things Your Primary Care Doctor Does That Should Make You Run for the Hills
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Dr Orrange received her BA in Biology at the University of California San Diego and a Masters Degree in Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health She received her MD from the USC Keck School of…
FAST FACTS
Back Pain: Should I worry it could be something more serious?
Back pain is the second most common reason for a visit to the physician. By far the most common causes of low back pain are "mechanical" caused by disc degeneration, muscle or ligament strain. Rarely, acute low back pain is a harbinger of serious medical illness including infection, cancer, and other diseases. Patients often come to see me concerned that a serious underlying illness could be causing their low back pain. Here are the illnesses patients worry about followed by why I don't think you need to worry.
1) Kidney stone: Yes this could be the cause of your back pain if your pain is a 10/10 on the pain scale, constant, crampy, aching and so severe it's making you nauseous and you can't sit still.
2) Kidney failure: A very unlikely cause of your low back pain given that yes, the kidneys are stationed back in the flanks, but kidney failure doesn't cause low back pain. Period.
3) Kidney tumor: Cancer of the kidney is a rare cause of low back pain especially if the pain was accompanied by blood in your urine, weight loss and fever. If you or your physician can feel an abdominal mass and you were a smoker, then I'd really worry.
4) Metastatic cancer: Unlikely that cancer has spread to your bones (prostate, breast and lung cancer do this most commonly) and caused your low back pain unless your pain has become very severe quickly, is not relieved even with strong pain medicines, and is associated with neurologic complaints (numbness and tingling). Oh and you should also have weight loss and fatigue.
5) Multiple Myeloma: While it's true that Multiple Myeloma often presents with low back pain you should also have weakness, fatigue and notice that you are pale. Shooting pain that radiates down your legs would also raise some red flags for Multiple Myeloma if accompanied by the above findings.
6) Abscess in the spine "Epidural Abscess": These are rare but could be your issue if your back pain started out as a focal severe pain then turned in to shooting or "electric shocks" throughout your back. To worry about an abscess or infection in the spine I'd also like to see weakness, urinary retention, and numbness or tingling.
7) Fracture of the spine "Compression Fracture": Unless you are older with osteoporosis this is not likely your issue BUT if you had acute back pain after sudden bending, coughing, or lifting well, then, this could be a potential are of concern. The pain from a compression fracture, unlike other worrisome causes, rarely radiates to the legs and is worse with sitting or moving.
8) Tumor in the spine causing spinal cord compression "Cauda Equina Syndrome" : If you have the acute onset of urinary retention, bilateral leg weakness and numbness, then and only then can you worry about this
9) Multiple Sclerosis: Unlikely given that while back pain does occur in early Multiple Sclerosis it won't do it without sensory changes like numbness and tingling in your limbs, visual problems like double vision and a good dose of fatigue.
Hope this helps alleviate some of your concerns and jump in if you have any more to add!
Dr O.
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CONDITIONS AND COMMUNITIES:
Alzheimer's Disease
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Ankylosing Spondylitis
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Back Pain
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Caregivers
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Caring For Aging Parents
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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Chronic Pain
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Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis
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Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
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Degenerative Disc Disease
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Degenerative Joint Disease
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Fibromyalgia
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Kidney Stones
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Lupus
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Lyme Disease
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Obesity
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Pregnancy
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Sports Injuries
Displaying comments 17-1 of 17
Got a Question?
Glad there are docs who are well versed and willing to share their knowledge.
AWESOME.
I'm so scared about my dad. His kidney was removed and it spread to his lungs. Now he's on a targeted chemo -- starts with an S. He has sore hands and feet and feels bad all the time. It's a pill he takes. He's scared I know.
My mom has thrombocystiosis. She has side effects from her medication that causes cellulitis. She is tough psychologically. My dad gets down though.
Thanks again. I'm going to reread your story. My back hurts sometimes too to tell you the truth! It might help to allay the hypochondriac in me.
!st,2nd,3rd,4th opinions and so on, perseverance and you will find your way. Off the top of my head he operates out of the Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tn.
NOT THE DOCTOR.
They're only human and can be VERY quick to dismiss folks -- stress and the like.
It ain't fun being sick, and a lot of times there are early clues. Not every doctor is like the show House. Many like to make a good living. And that is how they define success. If they cure a few patients along the way, then yeah, they're doing their job. But it's when it's not cut and dry, well, let's face it, they hang up their lab coat and go home. House on the other hand, NEVER does that.
Where are the Dr. HOuse's of the world.
My father's rare kidney cancer went unchecked as he, too, went to the doctor 3 or 4 time complaining of backpain.
He lost a kidney (tumor). And then it spread to his lungs, as kidney cancer does. SO, the moral of the story is TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS and NOT THE DOCTOR. Get a second, third and fourth opinion. And let them all call you a hypochondriac -- so be it. He'd be in better shape today if he would have.
Just trying to be helpful.
I was bed bound for 9 weeks unable to move and in excrusiating pain, im now out of bed and much better but still unable to work as im aCNA, i cant lift or bend ect.
Simple things like walking my dogs or being fairly buisy around the house put me hobbling and in pain.
I have asked my doctor if i will eventually heal or will it not get any better than it is now.
Iv,e treid to find info on line but it,s not very indepth and im feeling frustrated because im stuck in the house and unable to work with no real answers.
I also notice if iv,e been buisy doing housework i get very sore muscles like i have worked out as well as being in pain.
Do you think i need more exercise and could you shed some light on complete recovery and time frame for this, like i said t,s been since may so far.
I would appreciate any feed back.
With thanks!
Back pain is serious medical illness. The most common reason of low back pain is muscle strain. The information you had mentioned above is quite sufficient. Thanks to you.
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gs
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