Back pain can be caused by kidney stones when small stones prevent proper flow of urine between one’s bladder and kidney. One can identify this specific condition by the kind of pain one is experiencing. Back pain caused by other conditions generally cause muscle soreness and aches in the muscle tissue or spine. When back pain is due to kidney stones, they tend to come in cycles and are often described as severe pain that originates from either the left or right side. Another difference is that kidney stone pain can travel from where it began, all the way to the lower abdomen area and can even be felt in the groin region as the stone makes its way through the ureter.
Other than back pain, some additional symptoms one may experience due to kidney stones are vomiting, nausea, fever, and urine with traces of blood. For certain people, kidney stones can cause abdominal and back spasms. Furthermore, it is common for people with kidney stone pain to also experience symptoms of a urinary tract infection.
The only way to conclusively diagnose the presence of kidney stones that might cause back pain, a doctor will need to conduct a urinalysis as well as an x-ray. This procedure will determine the presence of a stone, as well as whether it can naturally exit through urination. Should a kidney stone be too large to pass naturally, it may need to be surgically removed or dissolved with medications. Once the stones have been taken care of, any back pain that it caused should be resolved.
Any back pain that can be treated using topical medications, massage, or heat treatments rules out kidney stones as a cause. This is because kidney stone pain is unique and will not be treated so easily. In fact, the pain one experiences from kidney stones are generally so painful, they will find it difficult to sit still – many feel compelled to keep moving around so as to take their mind off the excruciating pain. On the other hand, back pain as a result of muscle tissue or spinal injury will likely restrict one’s movement, since this would only lead to further discomfort or worsen the situation.
Kidney stones that cause back pain will also not cause an aching pain, which is very common in other kinds of back pain. Instead, an individual will feel sharp, sudden pain that can also lead to severe cramping. Many individuals who have experienced this have reported that its sudden appearance can cause some of the worst pain they have ever experienced. Though back pain is debilitating, and in some cases can be very serious, the pain it causes pales in comparison to pain that a kidney stone can cause.
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