Lower Back Pain - Delsiegrates
Back pain and kidney pain feel a lot alike but require very different treatments. Here are ten ways to tell them apart.
Back problems and kidney problems cause very similar pain but require very different treatments. Ultimately, a medical diagnosis is necessary to pinpoint the cause of pain, but it possible to determine which doctor to see first, and how urgently medical help is needed, with the help of ten simple rules.
- Back pain usually begins in the middle of the back, and spreads to both sides. Kidney pain usually starts on one side of the spine, and spreads toward the middle.
- Back pain after an injury to back muscles or a disk usually spreads up and down the spine vertically. Pain after a "kidney punch" typically travels horizontally, left or right from the injured kidney, not up and down.
- Back pains most commonly start as dull pain, caused by years or even decades of degeneration of a disk in the spine. Back pain is often continuous. Kidney pains most commonly start as sharp pain when flow of urine is stopped. Because release of urine relieves pain, kidney pain may be spasmodic or colicky.
- Pain originating in the back is aggravated by up and down motion. Pain originating in the kidneys is aggravated by right and left motion. Pushing down on the tissues lying over the kidneys makes kidney pain worse, but it does not make back pain worse.
- Severe back pain usually is caused by injury. Back pain has a definite beginning and an indefinite end. Severe kidney pain usually is caused by infection. Kidney pain has an indefinite beginning and a definite end.
- Changes in urination habits usually point to a kidney problem. Changes in defecation habits usually point to a back problem. Kidney infections and dehydration can change the odor, color, and consistency of urine. Back problems of various kinds can make defecation difficult and aggravate constipation.
- Kidney stones in children and pregnant women can cause pain that radiates downward like back pain. In children, a kidney stone can cause referred pain that the child experiences as stomach ache. In pregnant women, a kidney stone can cause referred pain that feels like a yeast infection.
- Back pain usually gets worse during continuous bed rest and is relieved by light exercise. Kidney pain usually gets better during continuous best rest and is worsened by light exercise.
- Burning pain during urination is always a symptom of a kidney problem. Spasms in the lower back during urination may be a symptom of either a back problem or a kidney problem.
- Nausea, vomiting, and fever are reliable indicators that pain is due to kidney infection. It is possible, however, to have both a kidney infection and back injury at the same time.
It is always necessary to see a doctor to know for sure whether your pain is due to a back problem or a kidney problem, and whether you need urgent attention or your care can wait. These ten distinctions, however, can tell you which doctor you need to see first.
Copyright Robert Rister. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
