Kidney's or Lower Back Pain?

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Published: 2009-06-25 - Updated: 2022-08-18
Author: Disabled World | Contact: Disabled World (Disabled-World.com)
Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A
Library of Related Papers: Pain: Acute and Chronic Publications

Synopsis: Kidney pain and lower back pain can have similar symptoms that may 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. 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.

Definition

Human Kidneys

Human kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space and, in adult humans, are about 12 centimeters (4 1/2 inches) in length. Your kidneys remove wastes and extra fluid from your body. Your kidneys also remove acid produced by your body's cells and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in your blood. Without this balance, your body's nerves, muscles, and other tissues may not work normally. Your kidneys also make hormones that help:

Make red blood cells
Control your blood pressure
Keep your bones strong and healthy

Main Digest

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.

Related Publications:

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.

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