title: Evaluating back pain in older patients.
abstract: Low back pain in the elderly has a much wider range of possible causes than in younger patients. In addition to nonspecific mechanical causes, malignancy presenting as back pain occurs more often in older patients. Other systemic and visceral causes of back pain such as polymyalgia rheumatica, aortic aneurysm, Paget disease, Parkinson disease, and osteoporosis with compression fracture occur almost exclusively in persons over age 50. Keys to diagnosis and management of low back pain in older patients are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mazanec
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000150:complications; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging