Reumatizam, Vol. 58 No. 2, 2011.
Review article
Low back pain vs. leg dominant pain
Ida Kovač
; Clinical Department for Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Aids, Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
There are two patterns of back pain: 1) back-dominant pain and 2) leg pain dominant, greater than back pain (1). The causes of back pain are very different and numerous, but mostly are due to vertebral, mechanical etiology, and rarely because of non vertebral, visceral etiology. Leg pain greater than back pain is mostly disease of spinal nerve root, generally presented by radicular pain in a dermatomal distribution. Mechanical compression of spinal roots, caused by disc herniation or by spinal stenosis, results in radicular symptoms. Rarely, in about 1 % of patients, there are some other reasons except vertebral mechanical cause, like infection, tumor or fracture. There are several causes of pseudoradicular pain like periferal neuropathy, myifascial syndromes, vascular diseases, osteoarthritis. Spondylarthropathies should be taken in cosideration as well. A complete history and physical examination is important to t determine further diagnostic evaluation and to provide eficient therapy.
Keywords
low back pain; radiculopathy; electromiography
Hrčak ID:
124414
URI
Publication date:
20.10.2011.
Visits: 6.985 *