title: Sudden onset of back pain.
abstract: Patients attending a back pain clinic completed a structured interview, with particular reference to whether onset of the first episode of back pain was sudden or insidious. They were classified into four diagnostic groups. A significantly higher proportion of patients who had experienced a sudden onset of pain suffered from sciatic pain with positive root tension signs than was the case with patients whose pain had started more insidiously (50.8% vs. 20.6%; P < 0.001). These patients were also more likely to be male, to have been lifting or twisting with a weight, and to have been confined to bed or hospitalised, and have undergone manipulations, than patients with insidious onset of their pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D012737:Sex Factors