Backache in the aged.

Backache is a treatable condition in most geriatric patients. A detailed history, a careful clinical examination, an X-ray examination and determination of the sedimentation rate usually enable one to categorize the discomfort as a "mechanical syndrome" or as a "pathological syndrome" of back pain. The former indicates that the tissues of the back are essentially normal but are displaced or strained, while the latter indicates an infiltration of the tissues by a pathological process. The important conditions causing backache in elderly patients in these two groups are listed and their treatment is discussed.