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.
Often, the cause is difficult to determine. Acute low back pain lasts from a few days to a few weeks, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Most acute back pain is caused by a back injury or a degenerative condition such as arthritis.