What Your Lower Left Back Pain Could Be

Do you have lower left back pain? Could it be back pain or kidney pain, people coming to a doctor with pain on one side of the low back often ask if it is possibly related to their kidneys.

Kidney pain and Back pain (or dorsalgia) are often confused with each other but there are several important differences. While back pain can be dull, aching and continuous or intermittent and sudden, kidney pain usually occurs in waves or cycles and is accompanied with other symptoms like chills, fever and pain while urination. At times, back pain and kidney pain can be similar in symptoms but their causes and indications are very different and can be distinguished clearly after a comprehension consultation and examination by a health care professional.  

Here are some helpful facts that give you an indication which doctor would be most appropriate for consultation.

• Back pain is predominantly from a dysfunction within the spinal joint complex, the muscles, the nerves, intervertebral disc and bone alignment.
  
• The pain may feel dull, achy, throbbing, or sharp.
  
• Generally the back pain can be reproduced, can increase or decrease with some physical activity or changes in positioning (sitting, standing, walking, bending, sitting to standing, etc.).
  
• Back pain, can be centered or off to one side (right back pain or left back pain).
  
• The back pain, can travel into the low back or upper back, less frequently will it travel out to the flank or side of the trunk.
  
• While in comparison, kidney pain is caused by infection, stones or other kidney disease.
  
• The pain is usually severe and will come in waves.
  
• Kidney pain is not induced with activity, such as bending or exercising.
  
• Pain is not central in the back but rather right or left of the back above the hip bone, referred to as flank pain.
  

Treatment for back pain or kidney pain will be determined after an appropriate examination.  Because back pain and kidney pain are serious conditions I advise individuals to avoid self-diagnosing and get it checked out by either a chiropractor (spine health specialist) or an urologist.

Author Dr. Lori Nuzzi