A 65-year-old patient, Mrs. Smith, presents to the emergency department with complaints of severe pain in her lower back. She reports that the pain started suddenly while she was lifting a heavy box at home. Mrs. Smith describes the pain as sharp and stabbing, radiating down her left leg. She rates the pain as 8 out of 10 on the pain scale. Upon further assessment, Mrs. Smith reports a history of intermittent lower back pain for the past few years, which usually resolves with rest and over-the- counter pain medications. Based on Mrs. Smith's presentation, which of the following findings would support a diagnosis of acute pain rather than chronic pain?

A. History of intermittent lower back pain for the past few years: Supports a chronic pain pattern (recurrent, long-standing), not acute pain. B. Pain intensity rated as 8 out of 10 on the pain scale: High intensity can occur with either acute or chronic flares; severity alone does not reliably distinguish acute from chronic. C. Pain worsens with rest and improves with over-the-counter pain medications: This pattern is less specific; many chronic mechanical back pain syndromes worsen with activity and improve with rest - the described pattern does not strongly point to acute-onset injury. D. Sharp and stabbing pain radiating down the left leg: Supports an acute radicular/nerve-root event (e.g., acute disc herniation) given the sudden onset while lifting and a classic radicular distribution; this finding is most consistent with acute pain.