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[Back pain in the primary care setting : Specific back pain]

Back pain is a common reason for consulting a general practitioner. For 80% of patients, the back pain is nonspecific. Specific back pain has a determinable cause that needs to be rapidly identified. The diagnostic work-up to clarify spinal pain involves a detailed patient history taking into account the "red flags", a clinical examination and further stepwise diagnostics. In addition to laboratory diagnostics, structured morphological imaging is necessary. Causes of specific back pain include: fractures, infections, radiculopathy, tumors, axial spondylarthritis, as well as extravertebral causes. The diagnosis, treatment and continuous follow-up of the patient with specific back pain is interdisciplinary and requires close communication with the relevant specialists.