| SYMPTOMS |
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DIAGNOSIS |
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SELF-CARE |
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| 1. Did your pain begin with
a fall, a twisting injury or when you lifted an
object? |
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Go to Question 7.** |
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| 2. Do you have numbness or
pain extending down your leg? |
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Go to Question 4.* |
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| 3. Do you have a sudden
loss of bladder or bowel control, or weakness of a
leg? |
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You may have a slipped
disk, or HERNIATED DISK. |
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EMERGENCY
If you have lost
bladder or bowel control, call your doctor or be seen in
an emergency room right away. |
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| *4. Does the
pain stay in your lower back and become worse with
twisting or bending? |
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Your pain may be from
MUSCLE SPASM, a PULLED MUSCLE or a COMPRESSED
NERVE. |
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Use heat, an
anti-inflammatory medicine, and rest for up to three
days. After improvement, begin abdominal muscle
strengthening exercises to prevent future recurrences.
If you don't improve, contact your doctor for
instructions. |
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| 5. Did you have sudden and
severe pain with minimal motion or a minimal fall and
are you over age 60, or do you have arthritis or some
changes in your spine? |
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You may have a COLLAPSED
VERTEBRA or a crushed spine. Though it's extremely
painful, it's usually not dangerous. |
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See your
doctor. |
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| 6. Do you have pain that
comes and goes in your lower spine that may have started
in your teen years and was possibly aggravated by an
injury? |
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You may have been born with
a defect or crack in the spine called SPONDYLOLISTHESIS
or SPONDYLOSIS. |
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See your
doctor. |
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| **7. Do you
have a fever? |
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Go to Question 9.*** |
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| 8. Do you have
blood in your urine and one-sided back pain along with
burning during urination? |
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Your symptoms may be from a
kidney infection, PYELONEPHRITIS. KIDNEY STONES may start a
kidney infection or may cause pain, blood and painful
urination without a fever. |
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See your
doctor. |
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You may have a viral
illness such as the FLU. |
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Treat yourself with
analgesics, and with cold medicine. Consult your doctor
if the symptoms are prolonged or severe. |
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| ***9. Do you
have a blistering rash and burning pain on your back and
chest? |
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Your pain may be from a
viral infection called SHINGLES. |
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See your
doctor. |
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| 10. Do you have stiffness
in the morning or are other joints also stiff, sore,
swollen or red? |
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ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS is a
form of arthritis that affects the lower back. Other
forms of arthritis can also cause back pain. |
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Treat yourself with an
anti-inflammatory medicine. Heat also provides comfort.
If you do not improve, or if your pain is severe,
contact your doctor. |
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| 11. Are you
pregnant? |
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PREGNANCY causes stretching
of the ligaments around the uterus and pressure on the
lower back. |
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Use mild heat to the back
only. Consult your doctor if the pain continues or if
fever or bleeding accompanies the pain. |
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| 12. Is the pain centered in
the lower spine and do you have pain radiating down your
leg to your knee or ankle? |
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You may have a ruptured or
HERNIATED DISK. |
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Consult your doctor right
away. |
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| For more information, please
consult your doctor. If you think the problem is
serious, call right away. |
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