What may increase your risk for problems from your back symptoms?

Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your doctor.

Conditions

• Compression fracture of the spine
• A problem or condition that has been present since birth (congenital defect)
• A history of polio
• Previous back injury that was severe enough to interfere with daily activities, such as going to work or school
• Previous surgery to back area
• Pregnancy

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Smoking or other tobacco use
• Sports activities, such as:
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Contact sports, such as football
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Weight lifting
  • Wrestling

Medicines

• Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Medicines that are used to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medicines that are used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Hemophilia
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Hyperthyroidism
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Inherited bone disease
• Kidney disease
• Lupus
• Malnutrition or an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Osteomyelitis
• Osteoporosis
• Paget's disease
• Parathyroid disease
• Scoliosis or curvature of the spine