Back pain: diagnostic and differential aspects

Abstract

Management of patients with back pain is an interdisciplinary problem requiring a package of diagnostic and differential measures. Despite the elaboration of algorithms for the differential diagnosis and therapy of back pain, a number of questions remain difficult to interpret, which can lead to diagnostic errors. This review considers the main causes of back pain and the principles of their diagnosis and treatment. It gives data from studies of therapy for nonspecific back pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants, aceclofenac and tolperisone in particular.

Keywords

• back pain
• nonspecific musculoskeletal pain
• differential diagnosis
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• muscle relaxants
• aceclofenac
• tolperisone