Signos de alarma de la lumbalgia

Abstract

Low back pain is defined as pain located between the last rib and the gluteal area and can radiate to the lower extremities. Low back pain is a major health problem, especially in industrialized countries, with a prevalence of approximately 70%. This disorder generally consists of musculo-skeletal pain that is self-limiting within a defined period of time. However, history and physical examination are advisable in patients with low back pain to rule out other serious entities such as neoplasms, osteomyelitis, vertebral fractures, cauda equine syndrome, spinal stenosis, and ankylosing spondylitis, and thus make a correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. Consequently, most clinical guidelines mention what are known as the “red flags” or warning signs of low back pain. A red flag is any sign or symptom in a patient with low back pain that could be related to the development of a serious disease. There are insufficient evidence-based studies on the distinct warning signs. When examining a patient with low-back pain, if fever, constitutional syndrome, previous neoplasm, inflammatory pain, previous traumatism, or bladder dysfunction, among other entities, are present, further investigation is warranted since the diagnosis could be secondary low back pain. The present article discusses the red flag signs of acute low back pain.