It is the fifth leading reason for medical office visits in the United States. Low back pain occurs most frequently between the ages of twenty and forty and is more severe in older patients. There is no strong association based on sex, height, body weight, or physical fitness. High-risk occupations include miscellaneous labor, garbage collection, warehouse work, and nursing, all of which are usually associated with lifting, twisting, bending, and reaching. After an initial episode, the probability of recurrence is increased fourfold.
Treatment tends to be less successful in workers' compensation cases.
The average cost for care is 4.5 times greater if the patient is represented by an attorney. Classification Low back pain is an important part of neurologic and general medical practice. Such patients make up a small minority of those with low back pain. There are a multitude of causes of low back pain. The classifications outlined in Table 1 may be helpful in the differential diagnosis.