Acute Back Pain Due To Inflammation Of Internal Organs
Pain in your lower back may occur due to the inflammation or irritation of an internal organ or may be a sign of infection. Organs of the mid-back, abdominal, or pelvic regions can cause pain specifically in the right or left side of your lower back or be generalized throughout the area.
Common examples of lower back pain stemming from internal organs include:
- Kidney stones. Acute lower back pain may be felt when a kidney stone moves inside the kidney or the ureter, a thin tube connecting the kidney to the bladder. The pain is typically localized to the left or right side depending on the kidney thatâs affected.
- Kidney infection. Kidney infections usually start as urinary tract infections , causing inflammation and pain on the left or right lower back area, depending on the kidney affected.
- Ulcerative colitis. Persistent inflammation of the large intestine can cause abdominal cramping and sharp back pain on one or both sides of the lower back and abdomen.
- Pancreatitis. A lower left back pain may be due to inflammation of the pancreas, which also causes upper abdominal pain at the same time.
- Appendicitis. An inflamed appendix can cause a sharp pain in the lower right abdomen and back.
Women may develop lower back pain from specific conditions, such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis, and pregnancy.
View Slideshow: 7 Ways Internal Organs Can Cause Lower Back Pain
See Back Care for Lower Back Pain
Symptoms Of Back Pain
Back pain can range from local pain in a specific spot to generalized pain spreading all over the back. Sometimes the pain radiates away from the back to other areas of your body, such as the buttocks, legs, or abdomen. The intensity of back pain varies for each person. Depending on the type, cause, and location of your back pain, you may experience:
- Increasing pain with lifting and bending.
- Worsening pain when resting, sitting, or standing.
- Back pain that comes and goes.
- Stiffness in the morning when awakening and lessened back pain with activity.
- Pain that radiates away from the back into the buttocks, leg, or hip.
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 .
- Back pain after a fall or injury.
- Back pain along with:
- Weakness, pain, or numbness in your legs.
When Should You See Your Doctor About Lower Back Pain
Though back pain can seriously impact your day-to-day life and make you extremely uncomfortable, the cause usually isn’t an emergency situation. As GoodRx discusses, relatively minor injuries to the tissues in the back are the most common cause of back pain. For the most part, back pain doesn’t require a trip to the emergency room.
However, if the pain in the left side of your lower back is accompanied by other symptoms, it might be time to head to urgent care. The most common sign that your back pain is caused by an infection is a fever. So, if you suddenly spike a fever, get someone to take you to the doctor ASAP. If your left-sided lower back pain is severe and you don’t get any relief from standing up, sitting down, or lying down in any position, then it’s time to get checked out. If both legs start to feel weak or numb or you lose control of your bowel or bladder function, get to an emergency room immediately. This is often an indication of a serious condition.
The bottom line is that back pain on the lower left side all on its own, even if it’s pretty bad, usually isn’t a sign of an emergency. Often you’ll start to feel better with a little rest and remedies you can undertake at home.
Read Also: Can A Hard Mattress Cause Lower Back Pain
Prevention Of Upper Back Pain
The following tips may help to prevent you from developing upper back pain.
- Lift objects safely and correctly by bending at your knees and not from the waist.
- Make sure your back is properly supported when sitting.
- If you wake up with back pain, a more supportive mattress that adjusts to your back and supports its various curves and hollows may help.
- Take regular breaks from sitting for long periods of time and from doing repetitive tasks.
- Practise good posture see our section on causes of back pain.
- Exercise regularly see our FAQ on some specific exercises for upper back strength.
- Learn and practise good technique for any sports youre doing.
- Stop doing any activity that you know is causing your back pain.
- Stop smoking it can speed up the degeneration of the discs between your vertebrae that act as shock absorbers.
- If you are overweight, losing weight may help to reduce the risk of back pain.
What Causes Pain In The Back Of The Head
There are a number of different causes that can lead to headaches occurring in the back of your head. In many cases, these headaches also cause pain in other locations, or theyre triggered by certain events.
The types of pain, location, and other symptoms youre feeling can help a healthcare professional diagnose whats causing your headache and how to treat it.
Don’t Miss: What Is Best For Lower Back Pain Heat Or Ice
What Causes Back Pain
Your spine or backbone is a complex structure that is made up of 24 small bones called vertebrae that are stacked on top of each other. Discs sit between each vertebra to act as cushions or shock absorbers and give your spine flexibility. Vertebrae are joined together by small joints called facet joints. These joints allow you to move and bend your back. A mesh of ligaments and muscles hold the spine together and provide structural support, which allows you to move.
Back pain can originate from any of these structures, but in most cases, this pain doesnt result from any significant damage to your spine. This pain usually stems from surrounding muscles, ligaments or joints and occasionally spinal disc problems.
For at least 9 in 10 people, back pain is not caused by any particular condition and is referred to as non-specific back pain.
This type of back pain results from a range of different factors such as:
Less than 1 in 100 people have back pain that is related to a serious medical problem such as cancer, infection, a spinal fracture or specific conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis. Research has also shown that you actually dont need to know the cause of back pain to treat it successfully.
Dont Miss: How Can I Reduce My Lower Back Pain
Fix Low Back Pain In Sitting
The best way to fix low back pain in sitting is to keep the spine in proper position and alignment. Heres how.
- Sit Up Straight
- Keep the low back extended with shoulders back
- Sit away from the back of the chair
- Stand up every 20 to 30 minutes
- Use a lumbar pillow or towel roll in the small of the back
Read Also: What Can I Do To Help Back Pain
Spinal Stenosis And Lordosis
Spinal Stenosis and Lordosis are two commonly observed spinal conditions. In Stenosis, your spinal canal, through which the spinal cord passes, is narrowed down, which ultimately causes pain, mostly because nerve roots no longer have sufficient space, and can become pinched.
An extreme curve in the lower spine is called Lumbar Lordosis or Hyperlordosis, and it can also be painful for people who suffer from it.
Any region of the spine can be affected by Stenosis, and as such, it can lead to low back pain, mid back pain, neck pain, and in some cases the pain can also extend to the limbs.
Pain From Herniated Discs
Spinal discs act as shock absorbers and cushions between the vertebrae, protecting us against the wear-and-tear caused by everyday activities, as well as aging. A sudden and severe shooting pain in the back is a common symptom of a slipped disc.
A slipped disc occurs when the softer interior of a disc leaks out due to a rupture in the exterior of the disc, and this leakage can irritate the nerves and cause pain, numbness, or weakness.
You May Like: Could Back Pain Be A Sign Of Pregnancy
Can Lower Back Pain Be Related To Weather
If you feel like your lower back pain worsens on days when its cold or the weather is changing, you are not imagining things. Back pain can indeed be related to barometric pressure and outdoor temperature. Changes in pressure can sometimes cause pain in arthritic joints, including the spine. Muscles and joints in general react to the environment, which can make them stiffer and more likely to suffer an injury.
What Causes Sharp Lower Back Pain
Severe pain in your lower back typically occurs due to a problem in your spine or hip but may also originate from your internal organs. This blog provides a guide to the accompanying symptoms and potential causes of acute, severe lower back pain.
Lower back strain is a common cause of sharp lower back pain. Watch:Lower Back Strain Video
Don’t Miss: What Can I Do For Chronic Lower Back Pain
Why Is Back Pain A Big Deal
We know what youre thinking: Why do I need to spend money or seek advice for back pain? Isnt it a common symptom? Doesnt everyone have back pain? Cant I just pop a Motrin and call it a day?
We operate under many mottos, but one we swear by is pain is never normal.
No matter how mild your pain may be, there is always a reason for it. Pain is a signal from your body that something isnt operating the way it should be. Feeling back pain when breathing should prompt you to seek medical treatment before the pain can diminish your quality of life.
Trust us, you never want to be the person that has to say, I wish I had seen someone sooner. If the pain is due to an underlying condition that needs treatment , waiting to seek treatment could possibly injure yourself further. The quicker you are diagnosed, the quicker we can come up with a treatment plan to alleviate your pain.
Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor if your pain is acute, worsens, or doesnt go away.
Youve Been In Pain For Over A Week
Most back pain will subside after a few days, but if youve been experiencing pain for over a week, then its time to call a doctor. Your doctor will perform any examinations or tests required to help get to the bottom of your pain before it could become a bigger problem. As is the case with many health conditions, prevention and addressing problems early is key.
Also Check: How To Help Ease Lower Back Pain
Read Also: How To Reduce Back Pain After C Section Naturally
What Does It Mean If Lower Back Pain Is Shooting Into Legs
Lower back pain can radiate to other parts of the body: up or down from its place of origin. Sometimes lower back pain can be on one side of the back, which is also normal.
If the pain is shooting from the lower back into one or both legs, it could be sciatica , but its not always the case. There are many parts in the lower back that may cause the pain to radiate into the legs, such as facet joints, sacroiliac joints, muscles or inflammation of the bursa.
What Do Sharp Pains In The Lower Back Mean
The quick answer is that sharp pains in the lower back mean that you probably have inflammation or an injury. Sharp pain is typically a symptom with there is a new issue that is very irritated. This can happen after a traumatic injury.
Sharp Pains in Lower Back
Sharp pain in the lower back may also happen due to muscle spasms. When there is irritation in a structure in the lower back, it is common to have muscle spasms around the area. The body triggers the muscle spasm as a protective response. But, spasms hurt!
Read Also: How To Numb Back Pain
Symptoms And Causes Of Back Pain
Symptoms
You may experience upper back pain as localized tightness, throbbing, aching or sharp pain in the thoracic area of your back or in your neck. It can also be experienced as radiating pain in your arms, numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms, headache, or pain in your jaw or occipital area. Because the ribs are attached to the thoracic spine, you may also feel pain when taking a deep breath.
Causes
The common causes of upper back pain stem from inflammation and micro-tears in the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the upper back or from arthritis, herniated disks, vertebral stenosis, or misalignments in the thoracic or cervical spine. Repetitive motions and stressful postures, over time, may lead to the development of or aggravation of soft tissue damage or degenerative changes in the spinal column.
Tips for Controlling Upper Back Pain
The following may decrease cumulative trauma and may reduce the amount of your upper back pain:
Seek Medical Consultation
Seek medical consultation for upper back pain, especially in the following instances:
- After recent significant trauma, such as a fall, a motor vehicle accident or other such accidents.
- When sleep is disrupted or pain is worse at night.
- With a history of prolonged steroid use.
- With a history of osteoporosis.
- With a recent history of infection or a temperature over 100 degrees F.
- Numbness or tingling in arms.
- Severe, sudden headache.
How Medication Is Helpful
If your severe inside knee oain is due to inflammatory conditions, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat an infection or anti-inflammatory medications to treat arthritic conditions.
Examples include anti-platelet medications, such as aspirin or clopidogrel . They may also prescribe medications to reduce leg pain when walking, such as pentoxifylline or cilostazol.
Read Also: How To Relieve Upper Middle Back Pain
When You Should Go To The Er For Back Pain
If your back pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, head to your closest emergency room because you could be dealing with a more serious condition or injury:
- Sudden spike in pain, discomfort, weakness or numbness
- Loss of bladder function
- Unexplainable weight loss
- The pain results from a fall or severe blow to your back
If you experience any of these symptoms, its a good idea to talk to your doctor so you can determine next steps for managing pain.
Why You May Have Lower Back Pain On Just The Left Side
Most of us have dealt with low back pain at some point in our lives. In fact, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons reports that as many as 85% of people in the U.S. will deal with back pain at one time or another. A study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that back pain was the third most common reason for doctor’s visits in the U.S., behind skin conditions and osteoarthritis. The 2019 National Health Interview Survey, which is conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , found that back pain was the most prevalent kind of pain experienced in the U.S., with 39% of respondents reporting an episode of back pain within the three months prior to taking the survey.
Often, low back pain is felt on both sides of the body. However, according to the Cleveland Clinic, some people experience back pain that only impacts one side of the body. Lower back pain that’s only felt on the left side of the body can be caused by a number of different ailments, ranging in severity from normal aches and pains to emergency situations. Here are some of the common reasons why your back pain might be localized to just the left side.
Don’t Miss: How To Ease Lower Back Pain While Sleeping
Is It A Mechanical Problem
In many cases, the pain happens when parts of the back the spine, joints, tissues, muscles, and the discs that cushion the spinal bones are out of sync. If your back isnât feeling quite right, have your doctor check for:
Herniated or slipped discs: The bones of your spine are cushioned by discs, often referred to as âshock absorbers.â When they wear down, the soft tissue between them begins to squeeze out. This is when you start to feel it especially if they rupture. It can happen if youâve had a sudden injury, or because of simple wear and tear.
Bulging discs: The stuff inside your discs âbulges,â but not as much as with a herniated disc. They often cause no symptoms on their own, but they can bring pain if the disc pushes up against a nerve root.
Degenerative disc disease: The discs that separate your vertebrae wear down. This sometimes causes the bones to rub together. Age is usually the reason, but sports and injuries can be culprits, too.
Inflammation and movement problems of the sacroiliac joint: This joint sits at the bottom of the spine, on either side of the pelvis. It transfers the weight of your upper body to your lower body. This can start to bother you after youâve been injured, if you have an infection, if you have arthritis, or if youâre pregnant. Abnormal movement, such as too much movement of the joint, can also cause long-term pain.
Osteoarthritis: This is when your cartilage and bone begin to break down and there is inflammation.
