What Are The Causes Of Back Pain And Kidney Pain
Back pain most often occurs when the back is overworked, strained, or frequently subjected to poor posture.
Kidney pain has five major causes :
1. Kidney stones
These are hard deposits of minerals and salts that can form in your kidneys and create some excruciating blockage. If theyre very small stones, they may flush out without any pain, says Santiago. If they are larger, the pain is fairly sharp, and it tends to come in waves. In other words, the pain tends to get worse when the stone moves.
Its also typically one-sided, adds Santiago. You dont typically get bad stones on both sides at the same time.
2. A UTI gone too far
Sometimes a urinary tract infection can get out of hand as the harmful bacteria crawl their way through the bladder and up to the kidneys.
With a kidney infection, it’s going to be that dull, continuous pain, says Santiago. UTIs that turn into kidney infections are also more likely to cause fever, chills, and nausea.
3. Trauma
Fortunately, your kidneys are guarded by your ribcage and tough back muscles, so kidney injuries arent super common. But if youre into contact sports, happen to be in an accident, or end up in any situation where you take an extremely hard blow to the flank, you could do some organ damage.
4. Polycystic Kidney Disease
5. Kidney tumor
Ask The Coaches: Back Pain/kidneys
Q: I am 26 and six weeks into my first marathon training program. A few days ago I completed a long run of 10 miles. The temperature was around 75 degrees and very humid, which is actually pretty cool for a Georgia summer. I sweat a lot when I run and did not drink any water until I finished. Additionally, I took a few ibuprofen before the run, which I now know is a bad idea. Since the run, my kidneys, or at least those areas of my back, have been sore. Could this be a kidney problem caused by dehydration, or is it just general soreness resulting from my longest run yet.
When Should I See A Doctor If I Have Lower Back Pain
In many cases lower back pain stops on its own. But if it doesnt, here are some guidelines on when you may want to start seeking professional help:
- If the pain lasts four weeks or longer
- If the pain keeps getting worse as time goes by
- If you are experiencing other symptoms, such as fever, major weight loss or weight gain, loss of function or weakness in extremities, bladder problems, etc.
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Why Do My Kidneys Hurt When I Wake Up
This problem is significantly related to Kidney patients only. If you have any kidney-related issues recently or in the past, your mind should ask you about Why Do My Kidneys Hurt at Night. And on the next morning, when you wake up, you will feel as same as night pain.
It could be the consequence of more prolonged disease in kidneys like a Kidney stone, Chronic Kidney Diseases. In this scenario, the patient would have developed high blood pressure also, as doctors could have prescribed him/her a medicine called Diuretics.
Sometimes increased blood sugar and blood pressure also an indication of hurting kidneys during the wake-up time.
To avoid such situations, always drink Hot water or lukewarm water 1 hour before bed at night and in the morning immediately when you wake-up. The suggestion of this trick is from Indian Ayurvedic Treatment. Try this and let me know by commenting below.
Other Healthy Changes That Help In Getting Rid Of Kidney Stones
Along with exercises, you need to ensure that you stay hydrated at all times. Remember to drink a lot of fluids as dehydration caused due to the workouts can further aggravate the symptoms of kidney stones.
Drink enough water before, after, and during the workout. Certain beverages like cranberry juice and lemonade can be taken as they will keep you hydrated and will also help in breaking the stones.
Certain dietary changes can also aid the process. For improved results, you should reduce the intake of salt, minerals, and oxalate-rich foods. Moreover, try to avoid preserved and processed foods as they can put extra pressure on the kidneys.
Also Read: Foods to avoid with Kidney Stones
It is important to discuss the exercises with your doctor. Usually, exercises that can strain the abdomen and the kidneys are not recommended. Strenuous activities can lead to stones irritating the walls of the urinary tract. Such heavy physical activities can worsen the pain due to kidney stones.
You must have understood by now that proper and regular exercise along with necessary changes in the diet and lifestyle, can do wonders in providing relief from kidney stones. However, if any of the exercises cause the worsening of the condition, discontinue the exercise and contact your urologist immediately.
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Bottom Line: Dont Hesitate To See Your Doctor If You Think Its Kidney Pain
Unlike back pain, you dont want to have a wait and see approach with your kidneys. Infections can get worse and lead to serious tissue damage, while odd growths and stones can impair kidney function. The earlier your doc can prescribe you a care plan, the better they can nip your conditionand your puzzling back painin the bud.
Kidney Pain: Causes Symptoms And Treatments
- Medically reviewed by
Kidney pain can have many causes. It may be a sign of an infection, injury or another health problem, such as kidney stones. Because of where your kidneys are in your body, kidney pain is also often confused with back pain. Talk to your doctor to find out what is causing your kidney pain and to find the right treatment.
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Where Are Your Kidneys
Your kidneys are located below your ribs, which is why a problem with these organs can often be felt in your upper back or flank, or side area.
The kidneys perform several important functions for your body, including:
- Removing waste products, excess fluid, and drugs
- Regulating salt, potassium, and acid content
- Producing hormones that control red blood cell production, blood pressure, and more
- Providing vitamin D for bone health
Where Do I Feel Kidney Pain
You feel kidney pain in the area where your kidneys are: Near the middle of your back, just under your ribcage, on each side of your spine. Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, the organs that make urine and remove it from your body. The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
You may feel kidney pain on only one side or both sides of your back. Having pain in these areas does not always mean there is something wrong with your kidneys. Because there are muscles, bones and other organs around your kidneys, it can be hard to tell what exactly is causing your pain. If you have constant pain you think may be caused by your kidneys, talk to your doctor.
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Kidney Problems And Stones
Pain indicating kidney problems is usually felt in the lower back to the right and left portion of your spine. You may also feel pain above your hips. Many patients describe the pain as severe and occurring in waves. Delayed pain follows exercises such as side bends and front bends. When you feel this kind of pain, it’s a sign you may have a kidney infection or another kidney-related condition, including kidney stones.
Although kidney stones often pass through the body on their own, large stones can require medical intervention. Other symptoms of kidney stones include nausea and vomiting, difficulty urinating, urine discoloration pink, red or brown and a persistent urge to urinate.
Read more:Kidney Symptoms: Flank and Back Pain
Which Lifestyle Factors Contribute To Lower Back Pain
There are three major lifestyle factors that may affect your chances of developing lower back pain:
- Multiple studies have established a link between smoking and lower back pain. Smoking raises inflammation inside the body and hinders the body from healing itself.
- Obesity is also associated with several types of chronic pain, including lower back pain. In people with high body mass index , the stress on the spine increases, contributing to even more wear and tear.
- Your level of physical activity can also play a role in your lower back health. While a sedentary lifestyle could increase your risk of developing lower back pain, so can excessive or strenuous physical activity. Check with your doctor if you are unsure about your ideal level of physical activity.
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How Can I Ease Kidney Pain
Follow doctors prescribed medications excluding Diuretic medicines
Get proper dialysis treatment
Drink enough water in each 15 min to 30 min, mostly Hot water or lukewarm water. You will get the best results.
Apply warm or heat on that pain area.
Eat healthy foods and stay away from animal proteins etc.
What Is The Best Exercise For Multiple Sclerosis
Q: What are the best exercises? Diana: The best MS exercises are aerobic exercises, stretching, and progressive strength training. Aerobic exercise is any activity that increases your heart rate, like walking, jogging, or swimming. You just dont want to overdo itit should be done at a moderate level.
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How Do I Make Sure I Dont Get It
Any intense exercise can cause rhabdo, but recent case studies suggest its more likely to strike when someone dives right into a form of exercise theyre unaccustomed to.
High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is incredibly effective in providing long term health benefits. The method favors short bursts of strenuous activity over long periods of moderate exercise. But you still need to prepare your body for that intensity. Thats sometimes a problem when you are in an exercise class where the whole point is to push you to the edge, but its vital to listen to your own body and know what shape you are inand what you can handle.
If you need to slow down a little to get through your first spin class, you can always work a little harder when you show up for your second, third, and fourth. But youve only got two kidneys.
Why Is Lower Back Pain Such A Common Problem
The bottom part of your back typically has just five vertebrae fewer than your neck and mid-back. And these vertebrae do a lot of heavy lifting! Your lower back is where your spine connects to your pelvis, bearing the weight of your upper body. This area experiences a lot of movement and stress, which may lead to wear, tear and injuries.
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How Can I Repair My Kidneys Naturally
Eat Healthy and Fresh fruits
Drink Lemon Water and some time Coconut water.
Eat Apple, Cranberries, Blueberries, etc.
Dont Smoke and Quit it as soon as possible
Limit alcohol consumption
Do daily 20 min exercise and yoga if possible.
Be slim and fit as much as you can. Not too skinny, but fit for any work if given.
Avoid late sleeping or get enough sleep.
If you are a married person, do regular sex if you can, it indirectly helps a lot.
Control your Blood Pressure
Can Exercise Reduce Ms
For someone with MS , exercise thats too aggressive can bring on severe fatigue and injury and exacerbate symptoms. Though regular aerobic exercise can increase strength and balance, improve bowel and bladder control, and decrease spasticity related to MS , it can backfire if you dont take a gentler approach.
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Can Exercise Make A Kidney Infection Worse
To work out or not to work out While Dr Lee says that its fine to work out with a UTI if you feel up to it, she caveats that with the fact that sweating a lot can lead to dehydration, and this can make a UTI worse. Its also probably worth understanding what caused your infection in the first place.
Rule Out Nerve Conditions
Back pain in the area of your kidneys can be felt when nerves in the area are pinched or compressed. When nerves are damaged or injured, you will feel pain, discomfort, numbness and tingling sensations. You may also experience limited range of motion or your lower back may be sore for several days.
The compression in the spine can impinge on the nerves, thereby triggering pain and discomfort. If left untreated, nerve compression that is severe or lasts for a long period of time can lead to permanent numbness and muscle weakness. Avoid any exercise that makes the back pain worse.
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What Makes Some Kidney Stones More Painful Than Others
Kidney stones can range from the size of a grain of sand to as big as a pea. Some are even as large as a Ping Pong ball.
Larger stones are less likely to pass and more likely to block the urinary tract, so they are generally more painful, says Lesser.
The size of the stone is not necessarily proportional to the degree of pain, adds Dr. Maniam. Its possible for a large stone to remain in the kidney, not causing an obstruction or pain, and its possible for a small stone to pass without causing pain if it doesnt create a blockage.
On the other hand, a person may have a small stone in the urinary tract that causes considerable pain because the ureter itself is so tiny, even a small stone can cause obstruction that creates an incredible amount of pain, Lesser notes.
How Do You Know If You Have Flank Muscle Pain
Flank pain is pain on the side of the torso, just below the ribs. Sometimes, the pain may extend to the low back. There are many organs and muscles in or near to the left and right flanks, making flank pain a common symptom. Some causes of flank pain, such as a kidney infection or pancreatitis, are very serious.
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Symptoms Of Kidney Pain
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about the size of a clenched fist that are part of the urinary tract. The urinary tract is responsible for making urine and removing it from the body.
Kidney pain, also known as renal pain, can be felt where the kidneys are located: in the middle of the back, on either side of the spine, and just under the ribcage. Sometimes, the pain will be situated on the side of the body between the upper abdomen and back, where it is referred to as flank pain.
The kidney pain may be unilateral or bilateral . It can also be acute or chronic .
Kidney pain often feels like a dull ache that gets worse when someone presses on the overlying area. However, certain conditions can trigger intense and even excruciating pain accompanied by symptoms such as:
- Fever with chills
Is It Kidney Pain Or Back Pain
Because of where your kidneys are in your body, it is easy to confuse kidney pain and back pain. How can you tell the difference?
Kidney pain:
- Can happen on one or both sides
- Likely will not go away when you shift your body or rest
Back pain:
- Is usually felt in your lower back
- May shoot down one leg
- Feels more like a stabbing pain
- Gets worse when you do certain activities, like bending over or lifting something heavy
- May ease when you shift your body or rest
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Why Does My Right Kidney Hurt
The Renal Tumors or Cysts happens commonly due to Renal Traumas or Obstructional disease. Maybe there is an obstruction like Kidney Stone or a Blood clot.
Kidney Pain on the right side of the kidney might also prompt rare conditions like Renal Vein Thrombosis or Polycystic Kidney Disease .
Renal Vein Thrombosis is a formation of clots in the vein that drains blood from the kidneys. It ultimately guides for cutting the drainage of one or both kidneys and the clots possible migration to other parts of the body.
Kidney Pain In The Morning Treatment
Having kidney pain absolutely requires the aid of a medical professional. If you have problems with urination or have any of the kidney-related symptoms mentioned, it is recommended to speak to a doctor as soon as you can. Putting off treatment can result in irreversible tissue damage that may worsen the overall prognosis of your kidney condition.
For the causes of kidney pain, each may require a specific mode of treatment. In the case of infection, antibiotics targeting the most common bacteria involved will be the best form of therapy. Excessive pain may be remedied with the use of prescribed medication as it can become intolerable. Kidney cancer may be treated with or a combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
If you have seen a doctor and they have ruled out any life-threatening conditions, the following home remedies may provide some relief for kidney pain in the morning.
Water: This is the best treatment you can do yourself, as it allows your kidneys to flush out toxins and can even prevent kidney stones. It is recommended to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
Lemon juice: Contains citric acid which is helpful for breaking down calcium agglomerates in the kidney preventing calcium stone formation.Nettle leaves: A great treatment for promoting smooth flow through both the kidneys as well as your bladder. They can also help keep bacteria away and prevent crystal formation.
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