How do I know if my lower back hurts muscle or kidney?

In general, back pain will be related to your muscles, occurs lower in your back, and causes a consistent ache. If it's kidney pain, it'll likely be higher, near your ribs. You may feel waves of severe pain and possibly have a fever. The pain may also be stronger on one side.


How can I tell the difference between lower back pain and kidney pain?

Back problems usually affect your lower back. Kidney pain is felt higher and deeper in your body than back pain. You may feel it in the upper half of your back, not the lower part. Unlike back discomfort, it's felt on one or both sides, usually under your rib cage.

Can kidney pain feel like a sore muscle?

Kidney stones can cause a person to experience excruciating pain that feels like spasms. This pain may also spread to the groin. However, if kidney pain worsens when a person bends over or lifts something, it may be the result of back muscle or bone problems rather than an issue affecting the kidney.


What does kidney pain feel like in lower back?

Kidney pain often feels like a dull ache that gets worse if someone gently presses on that area. While it is more common to feel kidney pain on only one side, some health problems may affect both kidneys and cause pain on both sides of your back.

Can kidney pain be mistaken for lower back pain?

People commonly think their back pain comes from their kidney. But it's more likely that your discomfort is due to muscle spasm or strain or a spine-related problem. The kidneys are located higher than most people realize (see image).


Could your back pain be KIDNEYS?



Does kidney pain hurt when you push on it?

Kidney pain typically feels like a constant dull ache deep in your right or left flank, or both flanks, that often gets worse when someone gently hits the area.

When should I be worried about lower back pain?

See a GP if: back pain does not improve after treating it at home for a few weeks. the pain is stopping you doing your day-to-day activities. the pain is severe or getting worse over time.

What are the first signs of kidney problems?

Symptoms
  • Nausea.
  • Vomiting.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Fatigue and weakness.
  • Sleep problems.
  • Urinating more or less.
  • Decreased mental sharpness.
  • Muscle cramps.


Does kidney pain get worse with movement?

If it's a backache, a change of position may momentarily alleviate the pain. With kidney stones, the pain won't disappear when you move, and some positions may even make it worse.

How can I check my kidneys at home?

A quick look at the best at-home kidney test kits
  1. Best blood sample test: LetsGetChecked Kidney Test.
  2. Best blood test for detailed results: Verisana Kidney Function Test.
  3. Best urine-based test: Healthy.io Minuteful Kidney.
  4. Best combination kit: Labcorp OnDemand Kidney Health Test Package.


What can be mistaken for kidney pain?

Conditions that can be mistaken for kidney stones, sharing similar symptoms: Appendicitis or lower back pain. Urinary tract infection (UTI) Stomach flu or virus.


What does kidney strain feel like?

Kidney pain — also called renal pain — refers to pain from disease or injury to a kidney. You might feel kidney pain or discomfort as a dull, one-sided ache in your upper abdomen, side or back.

What can be confused with kidney pain?

The kidneys are located toward the back and underneath the rib cage, which is why back pain can be confused with pain from an infection or disease of the kidneys, such as kidney stones, urinary tract infections, etc.

Does a kidney stone feel like a pulled muscle?

Symptoms of kidney stones include severe pain and possibly fever and chills. You might also see blood in your urine. The pain comes and goes as the kidney spasms, trying to get rid of the stone from inside your kidney. It may feel like you have pulled a muscle in your back.


Where does your back hurt if you have a kidney infection?

Where does your back hurt if you have a kidney infection? If the pain is associated with the kidneys, it can cause pain on both sides of the lower back and will be concentrated in the area between the ribs and hips, also known as flanks, making kidney infection pain often referred to as flank pain.

Does it hurt to bend over with kidney pain?

Pain from the kidneys is often constant, or can be sharp, like being stabbed. Pain from the muscles or the spine comes on with bending over or with lifting, and may be felt in the middle of the back or on either side of the back.

How do I check if my kidneys are OK?

Blood Tests. Because your kidneys remove waste, toxins, and extra fluid from the blood, a doctor will also use a blood test to check your kidney function. The blood tests will show how well your kidneys are doing their job and how quickly the waste is being removed.


What are four signs of kidney trouble?

If your kidneys aren't working properly, you may notice one or more of the following signs:
  • Extreme tiredness (fatigue).
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Confusion or trouble concentrating.
  • Swelling (edema), particularly around your hands, ankles or face.
  • Peeing more often.
  • Cramps (muscle spasms).
  • Dry or itchy skin.


How do you know if anything is wrong with your kidneys?

CKD can be diagnosed using blood and urine tests. These tests look for high levels of certain substances in your blood and urine that are signs your kidneys aren't working properly.

How do I know if back pain is muscular?

Symptoms include:
  1. Pain that gets worse when you move, especially when bending or stretching.
  2. Difficulty standing up straight.
  3. Swelling or bruising in a specific area.
  4. Sharp or achy pain, usually limited to the lower back and buttocks area.
  5. Spasm-like pain or cramps.


How long is too long for lower back pain?

Chronic back pain is defined as pain that continues for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause of acute low back pain has been treated. About 20 percent of people affected by acute low back pain develop chronic low back pain with persistent symptoms at one year.

How do I know if my lower back pain is severe?

What back pain signs and symptoms indicate something more serious is going on?
  1. Sudden spike in pain, discomfort, weakness or numbness.
  2. Loss of bladder function.
  3. High fever.
  4. Severe stomach pain.
  5. Unexplainable weight loss.
  6. The pain results from a fall or severe blow to your back.


How do you relieve kidney pain instantly?

Relieving Kidney Pain at Home – Urinary Infections
  1. Increase Water Intake. Hydration is key to flushing out infections of the urinary tract. ...
  2. Take Probiotics. ...
  3. Drink Cranberry Juice. ...
  4. Run a Warm Bath with Epsom Salt. ...
  5. Add Heat. ...
  6. Take Non-Aspirin Pain Killers. ...
  7. Drink Parsley Juice. ...
  8. Avoid Irritants.


Can a pulled muscle affect your kidneys?

When muscle is damaged, a protein called myoglobin is released into the bloodstream. It is then filtered out of the body by the kidneys. Myoglobin breaks down into substances that can damage kidney cells. Rhabdomyolysis may be caused by injury or any other condition that damages skeletal muscle.

Can you have kidney pain without an infection?

If you have pain in the area of your right kidney, it could be caused by a relatively common kidney problem, such as a urinary tract infection or kidney stone. Pain in the area of your right kidney might also be caused by a more uncommon condition such as renal vein thrombosis (RVT) or polycystic kidney disease (PKD).