| Typical causes of back pain according to age | |
|---|---|
| 15-30 years | Prolapsed disc, trauma, fractures, pregnancy, spondylolisthesis, ankylosing spondylosis |
| >30 years | Prolapsed disc, malignancy (lung, breast, prostate, thyroid, kidney commonly spreads to bone) |
| >50 years | Degenerative, osteoporosis, malignancy, myeloma, Paget's disease |
When taking the history it is important to remember the typical causes of back pain
These can vary according to age therefore it is important to consider the age of the patient as this may point more towards one diagnosis over the other and can help you with your history