Most people find it difficult to determine what is the source of back pain - the kidneys or the spine. Therefore, at the household level, renal colic is often confused with symptoms of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Meanwhile, the paired organ has its own specificity and characteristic symptoms that arise during the disease.
It is possible to understand what hurts - the lower back or the kidneys - if you pay attention to the presence of accompanying symptoms. Usually, diseases of renal origin occur against the background of a deterioration in well-being, accompanied by a temperature. Attacks of nausea and frequent urination are possible.
In addition, renal pain is always localized at the site of the paired organ. It can appear on the left or right side, but rarely shoots all over the back. If the soreness is expressed in the middle of the lower back, it is most likely the case in the spine or dorsal muscles.
In urological practice, pain in the lumbar region can have different intensity, frequency and frequency of occurrence, whether or not it disappears after taking antispasmodic drugs.
Can the kidneys hurt?
Yes, it cannot be ruled out that if your back hurts, the kidneys are the source of the problem. Discomfort or painful sensations of varying degrees are manifested in such cases:
- organ prolapse (nephroptosis);
- inflammation (pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis);
- the formation of stones;
- other ailments of the genitourinary system.
Lower back pain from the kidney is dull or sharp, weak or sharp. In many cases, they are indistinguishable from the painful sensations experienced with sciatica or osteochondrosis. Soreness can spread to other areas: groin, thigh, etc.
Sometimes the discomfort is muted and, conversely, intensifies - for example, with pressure surges in patients with nephroptosis or displacement of stones.
How to tell if your kidneys hurt
When the source of lower back pain is the kidney, accompanying symptoms often appear. It is possible to identify them even independently, at home. However, for a more accurate diagnosis of the disease, you should contact specialized specialists. It is only on the basis of comprehensive diagnostic measures that it is possible to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an effective therapy.
Another sign: when the kidneys hurt, the pain in the lower back does not go away or does not worsen when the position of the body is changed - this is typical for a disease of the spine. Soreness is felt constantly, and is usually relieved only by spasmodic analgesic drugs.
Features of renal pain
Back pain due to the kidney is of two main types:
- Dull and aching, accompanied by heaviness in the lower back - this is a symptom of an inflammatory disease (pyelonephritis).
- Sharp, dagger - caused by colic, which occurs due to the effect of stones on the nerve endings of the internal organs or blockage of the urethra (with urolithiasis).
When the reason is that the lower back hurts, the kidneys - painful sensations are unchanged in nature. They are either dull or acute - in accordance with the etiology of the disease. But the spinal muscular soreness is different: it often flows from the acute phase into a deaf one, fades out at rest and resumes at the moment of the beginning of activity.
Localization of back pain
If you carefully "listen" to yourself, you can feel exactly where the pain in the back in the kidney area is manifested. Since the paired organ is located at some distance from the surface of the body, behind the spine, painful sensations are concentrated there, in the depths. On the contrary, when a person experiences discomfort closer to the surface of the back, it is most likely due to the spine or back muscles.
Whenever the back hurts in the kidney area, one can confidently judge the true cause. Effective diagnostic methods such as ultrasound, computed tomography, MRI help to clarify the diagnosis. Additionally, blood and urine tests are carried out. All these procedures are carried out in the clinic under the supervision of the attending physician.
Irradiation of pain
Back pain in the area often spreads throughout the body, causing discomfort.
Soreness can affect the following parts of the body:
- inner thigh area;
- underbelly;
- groin area.
Pronounced cramps in the urethra are possible - they are also caused by renal pathology.
There is no need to doubt whether the back can hurt from the kidneys - this is a common symptom of the inflammatory process inside the organ. If soreness is felt both in the lower back and below, then it is possible to assume precisely renal pathology.
Back pain and physical activity
With osteochondrosis or rheumatism, a person is constrained in movements, it is difficult for him to bend and squat, often it is not possible to straighten - any changes in body position are accompanied by pronounced pain sensations.
Back pain associated with kidney disease is expressed differently. A person may experience discomfort while standing or lying on their back, and in other positions, soreness is not felt. Posture changes are much easier. Finding a comfortable position can give you relief.
Physical mobility is more difficult to tolerate with nephroptosis: with active movements, pain in the back, where the kidneys are, can increase.
Tapping the back
To find out whether the kidneys or the spine are the source of low back pain, you can use the back tapping technique.
Tapping algorithm:
- The person lies on his stomach, part of the back is exposed under the lower ribs.
- An open palm is placed on this area.
- With a fist (as well as with the edge of the palm or fingertips), lightly tap on the lying palm.
If, when tapping, back pain in the kidney area increases, then the paired organ is its real source.
It is important to understand that the effectiveness of this method does not depend on the force of the blow: pain is manifested when the shock occurs as a result of the blow. Therefore, when tapping in a domestic environment, the assistant must act carefully.
The true causes of pain in the lumbar region
You can understand why the back hurts in the kidney area by finding out what caused the discomfort. Most often, the reasons are external - they are associated with physical activity, increased stress, a sharp change in temperature, disease.
To find out why there were pains in - from the kidney or spine - it is enough to remember what happened the day before. The following events often lead to rheumatism:
- strenuous physical labor;
- abrupt or intense training;
- lifting weights;
- any unusual loads;
- unfortunate fall.
All this often leads to stretching of muscles, pinching of nerves, displacement of the spinal discs, or the formation of a hernia.
Kidney problems are caused by swimming in cold water, hypothermia, sitting on the ground, or a viral disease - ARVI or sore throat.
Other signs of kidney disease
How to distinguish renal pain from osteochondrosis or sciatica? To do this, it is enough to pay attention to the symptoms that are characteristic exclusively of renal diseases alone.
The following signs never accompany spinal problems:
- intense heat - the temperature rises to 40 C;
- noticeable swelling in the morning;
- impurities of blood and pus in the urine;
- increased urination;
- burning sensation when urinating;
- pressure surges;
- nausea;
- worsening sleep.
How to distinguish pyelonephritis from osteochondrosis or back muscle problems? A clear sign of the inflammatory process is the appearance of purulent particles in the urine.
Back pain symptoms
If the lower back pulls, the kidneys have nothing to do with it. The symptoms of spinal diseases and muscle problems are very similar. However, muscle spasms are indicated by the characteristic tingling sensations, it is possible that there are "goosebumps" in the place where it hurts. Muscles seem to go numb, but sensitivity is restored when using surface warming agents - gels, ointments or other drugs with an anti-inflammatory effect.
Rubbing is ineffective for kidney problems. But taking antispasmodic drugs relieves the patient's condition. Another tip on how to distinguish osteochondrosis from kidney pain caused by stones is taking a warm bath. As a result of heat exposure, the body will relax and the spasm from the calculus will be relieved.
Tests for renal and lumbar pain
When shooting in the kidney, it is important to undergo a comprehensive examination, of which general tests are a part. Renal pathology is confirmed by an increased level of ESR and leukocytes, and sometimes by low hemoglobin in the blood. Urinalysis should confirm leukocytosis, with inflammation - it shows impurities of pus, with stones - an excess of salts and blood impurities.
To clarify the diagnosis of an inflammatory disease, urine samples are taken. And also a urine culture is prescribed.
When the source of lower back pain is the kidney, treatment is formulated after additional abdominal ultrasound. Tomography is prescribed if a neoplasm is suspected.
Nonrenal pathologies are diagnosed mainly by examination and X-ray examination.