List of Causes Of Back Pain

There are more than 400 conditions that can cause back pain. Instead of  providing comprehensive list, I have divided the conditions into different groups creating an overview.

Contrary to general belief, the bcak pain does not always originate from spine and vertebrae. Backpain may originate in visceral problems too.

Here are the major condtions that can cause backpain.

Mechanical Causes

• Apophyseal osteoarthritis
• Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis
• Degenerative discs
• Scheuermann’s kyphosis
• Spinal disc herniation (slipped disc)
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis and other congenital abnormalities
• Leg length difference
• Restricted hip motion
• Misaligned pelvis – pelvic obliquity

Inflammatory Causes

• Seronegative spondylarthritides – for example ankylosing spondylitis)
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Infection

Epidural abscess or vertebral osteomyelitis

Neoplastic Causes

• Bone tumors (primary or metastatic)
• Intradural spinal tumors

Metabolic Causes:

• Osteoporotic fractures
• Osteomalacia
• Ochronosis
• Chondrocalcinosis
• Paget’s disease

Referred pain:

• Pelvic/abdominal disease