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.
Back pain can be a sign of a serious medical problem, although this is not most frequently the underlying cause: 1  Typical warning signs of a potentially life-threatening problem are bowel and/or bladder incontinence or progressive weakness in the legs.