Kidney's or Lower Back Pain?

Kidney and back pain can have similar symptoms that have entirely different causes. You can have back pain symptoms caused by a kidney infection, while another person could have the same symptoms caused by a back problem.

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Symptoms of Lower Back Pain Caused by Kidney Problems

• A sharp, stabbing pain may be related to back problems, not the kidneys.
• Many people describe the symptoms as general tenderness or ache, not pain.
• Pain caused by kidney infection is much more common than that caused by physical trauma.
• With kidney infection, there will often be other symptoms such as a fever, urinating pain, or blood in the urine.
• In addition to kidney pain caused by accident or injury, some symptoms are associated with a kidney infection.
• Pain from a kidney infection will usually occur near this same general area, although it can radiate out-wards thus complicating diagnosis.
• The pain or tenderness can be due to a kidney infection or related to some injury to the kidneys. For instance, an injury caused by a fall could compress one kidney, impacting and damaging it.

How to Tell if You Have a Kidney Infection

If you have a kidney infection, you will likely have some symptoms: fever, chills, backache, and pain. Nausea and tenderness near the infected kidney can also occur.

Your doctor will diagnose the condition through tests of kidney functioning or by a bacterial test. Why two types of tests? Because there are two common types of kidney disorders, each with a different cause.

Treatment and pain relief will likely include rest and antibiotics for bacterial infections. Usually, the treatment will last several weeks, but certain people may have structural issues and require longer-term treatment.

The bottom line is that you want to get the right information about what might create your pain symptoms - do not self-diagnose! A kidney infection left untreated for many years can have catastrophic implications for your health.

The treatment for low back pain caused by poor posture or overexertion is different than the treatment for low back pain caused by a kidney infection. You want to treat the right condition.

If there is a history of kidney infection in your family, or you have recently been in a fall or car wreck or had some other trauma that could have damaged your kidneys, you should consider seeing a doctor.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.