Go to the emergency room if your back pain is severe or if you believe it could be an emergency, such as a serious health problem or injury. You'll also want to recognize if it's happening in conjunction with other symptoms, such as spinal tenderness, swelling, or bowel or bladder problems.
Possible causes of lower back pain on the right side include sprains and strains, kidney stones, infections, and conditions that affect the intestines or reproductive organs. People should consult a doctor if they experience lower back pain that does not improve with rest or affects their daily life.
If your muscles are strained, they will feel like a sore or tight ache. A pulled muscle would not feel hot, tingling, or electric like an irritated nerve root would. The pain would only subside while you are relaxed and resting, as the tension and spasms are alleviated.
In comparison, kidney pain is typically located higher on your back and it often feels deeper. Most of the time, kidney pain symptoms occur under your ribs, to the right or left of your spine. Kidney pain may also radiate to other areas, such as your abdomen or groin.
“Red flags” include pain that lasts more than 6 weeks; pain in persons younger than 18 years or older than 50 years; pain that radiates below the knee; a history of major trauma; constitutional symptoms; atypical pain (eg, that which occurs at night or that is unrelenting); the presence of a severe or rapidly ...
You should see a doctor if your pain does not improve after a few weeks or if any of the following symptoms happen with your back pain: Numbness and tingling. Severe back pain that does not improve with medication (see Treatment section). Back pain after a fall or injury.
The most prominent symptoms of kidney stones are severe abdominal or lower back pain. When patients visit the emergency room or their primary care doctor to discuss these symptoms, they can be mistaken as either appendicitis or general lower back pain.
Generally, earlier stages are known as 1 to 3. And as kidney disease progresses, you may notice the following symptoms. Nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, swelling via feet and ankles, dry, itchy skin, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, urinating either too much or too little.
Some common disorders which can mimic chronic low back pain include sciatica, facet arthropathy, osteoporotic compression fractures, infection, tumor, trauma, and inflammatory diseases.
A common cause of back pain is an injury like a pulled muscle (strain). Sometimes, medical conditions like a slipped disc, sciatica (a trapped nerve) or ankylosing spondylitis can cause back pain. Very rarely, back pain can be a sign of a serious problem such as a broken bone, cancer or an infection.
Inflammatory pain would more likely be of insidious onset and of longer duration (i.e. more than three months) whereas mechanical pain tends to be more acute and can often be linked to an injury.
Your oblique muscles are the muscle group that runs along each of your sides. These muscle groups allow for you to rotate your torso from side to side. They're also part of you being able to maintain appropriate posture, because they connect to the spine near your extensor muscles.
Pain below the ribs can be caused by a variety of factors, including medical conditions related to the abdominal organs like gastritis or inflammation of the pancreas, musculoskeletal problems like muscle strain or costochondritis, or even referred pain from other organs like the heart, spleen, or kidneys.
As mentioned earlier, there are several important organs just below the right side of your rib cage, including the gallbladder, liver, right kidney, pancreas, and intestines. Sudden pain in the RUQ is not always a point of concern.
Kidney pain is usually felt in your back, under the ribs, to either side of your spine. It may be caused by kidney stones, kidney infection or other kidney problems. Drinking plenty of water and avoiding urinary infections can help prevent kidney pain.
Conditions like appendicitis, diverticulitis, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause sharp, severe abdominal pain, potentially confusing it with kidney stone pain.
Signs and symptoms of kidney stones can include severe pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and blood in your urine.
Certain symptoms, such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, sudden and debilitating headache, or dizziness or weakness that doesn't go away, could be indications of potentially serious or life-threatening conditions.