imÂ·meÂ·diÂ·aÂ·cy. n. pl. imÂ·meÂ·diÂ·aÂ·cies. 1. The condition or quality of being immediate. 2. Lack of an intervening or mediating agency; directness: the immediacy of live television coverage. 3. Something immediate, as in importance.
Back pain is accompanied by weight loss, fever, chills or urinary symptoms. You develop sudden weakness, numbness or tingling in a leg. You develop numbness in the groin or rectum or difficulty controlling bladder or bowel function. You have had cancer previously and you develop persistent back pain.
The seriousness of low back pain is relative. The symptoms of acute low back pain are usually benign and self limited. Even a ruptured disc has a chance of improving without surgery. Rarely, however, low back pain is caused by a more serious process such as a fracture, infection or cancer.