Recognising the red flags of back pain

Back pain, notably lower back pain (LBP), is one of the significant causes of disability and a source of substantial healthcare spending worldwide. It is also one of the top five medical problems in modern society. As back pain is a symptom, we must identify the root cause of it first before proper treatment can begin.

According to medical experts, almost 90% of back pain is classified as “non-specific”, indicating that the exact cause of the pain is unclear. The other 10% of patients with LBP may have different underlying pathology such as an infection or malignancy, which demands a timely and accurate diagnosis before proper treatment can be initiated.

The presence of any back pain red flags in a patient means that thorough investigation for other serious diseases such as cancer, inflammatory arthritis, abdominal aortic aneurysms, infections, and auto-immune diseases is necessary.

To share with the audience about the red flags of back pain, its risk factors and the potential implications of not seeking proper medical care, we spoke to Dr Kamalnizat Ibrahim, Orthopaedic Surgeon from KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital.