Back pain pitfalls.

Pain along the vertebral column is such a frequent complaint that it is easy to overlook unusual etiologies or serious complications. In addition to the common traumatic and degenerative causes of back pain, infectious, rheumatic and neoplastic conditions must also be considered. Nonmusculoskeletal disorders may sometimes be mistaken for lumbosacral strain. A systematic and sympathetic approach to the diagnosis may uncover uncommon pathologies.