Kidney Back Pain

Kidney back pain can occur due to various reasons. Read on, to learn about the various reasons that cause pain in the back and kidney region.
It is important to treat any kidney related disorders when they are at the developing stage, before these disorders become chronic. However, it is important that you are able to distinguish kidney pain from a back pain problem. If you have back pain which goes away with rest and use of a warm compress, then this is not kidney related disorder, but something that has to do with muscles. In kidney related disorders a person will experience flank pain. However, this pain doesn't go away and can be accompanied with other symptoms. Hence, understanding kidney back pain symptoms and relating it to the kidney conditions is important, in order to seek appropriate medical help. Here are the various kidney disease and back pain related disorders and their symptoms.

Pyelonephritis (Kidney Infection)
This is a type of kidney infection, which usually occurs due to bacteria which have spread from the bladder. The symptoms experienced in this condition are:
  • Back, side and groin pain
  • Frequent urination with urgency
  • Ache or burning while urinating
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Pus and blood in the urine
  • Fever
For this disorder, prescribed antibiotics are to be taken for several weeks. The patient might also be hospitalized, if the patient is severely ill.

Kidney Stones
This is one of the most common disorders related to kidneys. Kidney stones condition occurs when small or large stone forms in the kidney. Wondering, what does kidney back pain feel like when one has kidney stones? The back pain is very severe in kidney stones, and a person keeps changing position, or is in writhing pain when suffering from kidney stones. The pain location for kidney stone changes, sometimes it is felt on the side and sometimes lower back kidney pain is experienced. This is due to the movement of the kidney stone inside the body. Here are some symptoms experienced while suffering from this condition:
  • Blood in urine
  • Fever and chills
  • Severe pain leading to nausea and vomiting
  • Urine that looks cloudy or smells bad
  • Burning sensation while urinating
Kidney stones treatment involves drinking lots of water, and to provide relief from the pain the doctor can recommend pain relievers. Many times surgery is used to remove very large stones.

Kidney Cancer
Another cause of kidney pain is kidney cancer. This condition can cause dull aching pain. Kidney cancer or tumor stretches the kidney capsule slowly which causes the slow dull pain. A person suffering from kidney cancer rarely shows signs and symptoms in the early stages. However in the later stages the person might show the following symptoms:
  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Blood in the urine
  • Pain below the ribs which doesn't go away
  • Intermittent fever
For treatment of kidney cancer the doctor might perform nephrectomy or kidney removal, which is removing the affected kidney by surgery. Kidney cancer treatment might also involve removing the tumor from the kidney using surgery.

Polycystic Kidney
Polycystic kidney disease is a hereditary disorder in which there is massive enlargement of the kidneys which happens over many years. Kidney stones disorders are common in people how have polycystic kidney disease. If the cyst bleeds then it can cause flank pain. A person suffering from polycystic kidney disease has the following symptoms:
  • Abdominal pain or tenderness
  • Blood in the urine
  • Excessive urination during nighttime
  • Flank pain on one or both sides
Apart from these above symptoms, a person can show these additional symptoms:
  • Drowsiness
  • Joint pain
  • Painful menstruation
  • High blood pressure
  • Nail abnormalities
The aim of the kidney pain treatment, for this conditions, is to control symptoms and prevent any complications. For kidney disease and back pain treatments, included use of diuretics, blood pressure medications and a low salt diet. If there is any Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), then antibiotics will prescribed.

If you are showing any flank pain symptoms, then consult a doctor and get a diagnosis done, to treat the cause of the kidney back pain.
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Last Updated: 10/11/2011
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