Diagnosis banding dari LBP yang sering terjadi dapat dilihat pada tabel di bawah ini :

Disease or condition Back strain

Patient age Location (years) of pain 20 to 40 Low back, buttock, posterior thigh 30 to 50 Low back to lower leg

Aggravating or Quality of pain relieving factors Signs Ache, spasm Increased with activity or bending Decreased with standing; increased with bending or sitting Increased with walking, especially up an incline; decreased with sitting Increased with activity or bending Local tenderness, limited spinal motion

LBP

Osteoarthritis or spinal stenosis

>50

Low back to lower leg; often bilateral

Sharp, shooting or burning pain, paresthesia in leg Ache, shooting pain, "pins and needles" sensation

Positive straight leg raise test, weakness, asymmetric reflexes Mild decrease in extension of spine; may have weakness or asymmetric reflexes

Spondylolisthesis Any age

Back, posterior thigh

Ache

Ankylosing spondylitis

Infection

15 to 40 Sacroiliac joints, lumbar spine Any age Lumbar spine, sacrum

Ache

Exaggeration of the lumbar curve, palpable "step off" (defect between spinous processes), tight hamstrings Morning stiffness Decreased back motion, tenderness over sacroiliac joints Varies Fever, percussive tenderness; may have neurologic abnormalities or decreased motion May have localized tenderness, neurologic signs or fever

Sharp pain, ache

Malignancy

>50

Affected bone(s)

Dull ache, Increased with throbbing pain; recumbency or slowly cough progressive