Left side kidney pain location on back

On this page

• Where are your kidneys?
• How do you know if you have kidney pain?
• What causes kidney pain?
• How is kidney pain diagnosed?
• How is kidney pain treated?
• Related information on Australian websites

Where are your kidneys?

Your kidneys sit on either side of your backbone (spine), between your ribcage and your hips.

How do you know if you have kidney pain?

Kidney pain, or renal pain, is usually felt in your back (under the ribs, to the right or left of the spine). It can spread to other areas, like the sides, upper abdomen or groin. If you have a kidney stone, you usually feel the pain in your back, side, lower belly or groin.

Back pain due to muscle problems is usually in your lower back. Pain due to kidney problems is usually deeper and higher in your back, under your ribs.

Signs that it is a kidney problem can also include fever, vomiting, pain in your sides or painful urination.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the kidney pain Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

What causes kidney pain?

Kidneys drain urine to the bladder via tubes called ureters. Your bladder is emptied via the urethra. Problems in any of these areas can cause pain, and may be caused by:

• kidney stones
• kidney infection
• other types of kidney disease

Pain around your kidneys can also be caused by other problems, such as:

• problems with your spine or ribs
• muscle pain
• pneumonia
• a problem with your spleen or your liver

How is kidney pain diagnosed?

To diagnose pain in your kidney area, your doctor will talk to you and examine you. You may also be asked to have:

• a blood test
• a urine test
• an ultrasound

If you have had kidney stones in the past, it may not always be necessary to have a computed tomography (CT) scan, which exposes you to radiation. Ask your doctor if a CT scan is necessary for you. For further information, visit the Choosing Wisely Australia website.

How is kidney pain treated?

Treatment depends on the cause, the severity of the pain and how sick you are feeling.

You may find the pain eases with simple treatments like paracetamol. Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist.

If you have pain that you are worried may be caused by a kidney problem, please see your doctor. If you are pregnant and you have kidney pain, see your doctor.

You should also see your doctor if you have a pain in the back along with any of the following:

• discoloured urine, painful urination or blood in your urine
• feeling that you need to urinate urgently
• a temperature
• the appearance of gravel (small kidney stones) in your urine
• feeling unwell

If it hurts in your mid-back region on either side of your body, it could be a pulled muscle — or something more serious.

Back pain is common, with as many as 8-10 people experiencing it at some point in their lives. But what does it mean if you’re having a specific type of discomfort called flank pain? Your flanks are the areas around the sides of your body from your upper abdomen to your back. If you’re having discomfort in this region, either as right or left flank pain, the cause may be one of the following conditions.

1. Degenerative disc disease

One of the most common reasons for flank pain is the degeneration of the squishy discs that cushion the 26 vertebrae, or bones, of your spine. As you get older, the discs can compress and cause pain. They can even rupture and bulge out, which you may have heard called a herniated disc or a slipped disc.

“When the disc degenerates, the space where the nerves exit the spine becomes narrow, and the joints can sometimes become compressed,” explains Christopher C. Ornelas, MD, a spine specialist at Keck Medicine of USC and assistant professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “This causes irritation of the nerves, which can lead to pain that radiates to the flank.”

If your symptoms and physical exam suggest that you may have degenerative disc disease or a herniated disc, your doctor will recommend imaging tests.

“Often, a routine X-ray is sufficient, but if the pain is persistent or if it is accompanied by weakness, an MRI of the mid or lower spine may be indicated,” Ornelas says. “Treatment usually involves rest, medicine, physical therapy, spinal injection or, as a last resort, surgery.”

2. Osteoarthritis of the spine

If you have osteoarthritis of the spine, the joint cartilage wears down, which can irritate spinal nerves and cause flank pain, according to Ornelas.

Osteoarthritis of the spine can sometimes lead to the growth of bone spurs, as well, which can cause another problem called spinal stenosis, in which the spinal canal narrows and the spinal cord and nerve roots can become compressed. Nonsurgical treatment options, such as physical therapy or braces, may relieve symptoms; if not, surgery is an option.

3. Pulled muscle

If you’ve been exercising vigorously or lifting heavy objects — or even just spent a long day working in front of the computer — it’s also possible you pulled a muscle.

“It’s important to consider that the muscle in the flank area can sometimes be pulled and irritated with activities such as lifting, bending or twisting, and sometimes it can become irritated just by sitting for prolonged periods of time,” Ornelas says.

4. Kidney issues

It’s also possible your flank pain has nothing to do with your back at all. Your kidneys are located on each side of your spine, behind your rib cage, so they can also be the cause of flank pain. One of the main symptoms of kidney stones, for example, is sharp pain that starts in your back and side.

Kidney infections, which can happen when a urinary tract infection moves up from your bladder to your kidneys, can also cause flank pain. In addition to flank pain, you may have a fever, chills, painful urination or nausea.

5. Shingles or other conditions

Flank pain that is accompanied by a rash on one side of your body can be a sign of shingles, which is caused by the varicella-zoster (chicken pox) virus. Liver disease or gastrointestinal problems may also cause pain in your flank.

If you have flank pain that doesn’t go away, is severe or is accompanied by other symptoms, it’s a good idea to see your doctor.

Topics

arthritis

degenerative disc disease

Dr. Christopher C. Ornelas

kidney infection

Kidney stones

osteoarthritis

shingles

Tina Donvito is a freelance writer covering health, culture, travel and parenting.

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