Page "Back pain" Paragraph 7

Back pain is classified according to etiology in mechanical or nonspecific back pain and secondary back pain.

Approximately 98 % of back pain patients are diagnosed with nonspecific acute back pain which has no serious underlying pathology.

However, secondary back pain which is caused by an underlying condition accounts for nearly 2 % of the cases.

Underlying pathology in these cases may include metastatic cancer, spinal osteomyelitis and epidural abscess which account for 1 % of the patients.

Also, herniated disc is the most common neurologic impairment which is associated with this condition, from which 95 % of disc herniations occur at the lowest two lumbar intervertebral levels .< ref >