Acute Low Back Pain: Risk Factors for an Important Structural Cause | |||
| History | |||
| Pain worse at rest or at night | |||
| Prior history of cancer | |||
| History of chronic infection (especially lung, urinary tract, skin) | |||
| History of trauma | |||
| Incontinence | |||
| Age >70 years | |||
| Intravenous drug use | |||
| Glucocorticoid use | |||
| History of a rapidly progressive neurologic deficit | |||
| Examination | |||
| Unexplained fever | |||
| Unexplained weight loss | |||
| Percussion tenderness over the spine | |||
| Abdominal, rectal, or pelvic mass | |||
| Internal/external rotation of the leg at the hip; heel percussion sign | |||
| Straight leg- or reverse straight leg-raising signs | |||
| Progressive focal neurologic deficit |