- Your are under 18 years of age
- You recently suffered a major trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident or a fall from a height
- You suffered minor trauma and your age is over 50
- You had a medical practitioner tell you that you have osteoporosis
- You have a history of cancer
- Your pain does not ease, even when you rest in a comfortable position
- You suffer from night pain
- You have recently had a fever
- You have lost weight even though you have not been attempting to eat less or exercise more
- You have recently taken antibiotics or other medicines for an infection
- You are currently taking steroids or have been on prolonged steroid therapy
- You have been diagnosed with an immunosuppressive disorder
- You noticed a recent onset of difficulty with retaining your urine
- You noticed a recent need to urinate more frequently
- You have noticed numbness in the area of your bottom where you would sit on a bicycle seat.
- You have recently noticed your legs becoming weak while walking or climbing stairs
- You were involved in injection drug use
- You use recreational intraveniuous drugs
- Please also note that if your age is over 50 it is especially important that you consult your physician
Last updated: Jul 29th, 2009
Reviewed by Maayan Agmon, BPT, Mar 25th, 2009