Stories
Do Not Ignore Back Pain: It Could Be a Sign of Kidney Disease
- •Many people suffer from lower back pain due to desk jobs, lack of physical activity, and incorrect posture.
- •Back pain is not always caused by muscle stiffness; it can sometimes be a warning sign of kidney disease.
- •Kidney stones or infections can cause severe pain in the back, lower back, flank, or abdominal areas.
- •Symptoms like painful urination, frequent urges, foul-smelling urine, and nausea often accompany kidney issues.
- •Seek immediate medical attention if sudden back pain is accompanied by fever, chills, and difficulty urinating.
Key Questions Answered
Routine muscle-related lower back pain is primarily caused by muscle strain, sitting in the same position for a long period, incorrect posture, lifting heavy objects, and a lack of physical activity. Such pain usually occurs in the middle of the back and tends to ease with rest or changes in body position.
Kidney-related pain is felt deep inside the body beneath the ribs, does not easily subside with rest, and can spread toward the abdomen or groin. In contrast, muscle pain usually occurs in the middle of the back and improves with rest or posture changes.
If lower back or flank pain is accompanied by painful urination, a frequent urge to urinate, decreased urine output, foul-smelling urine, fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting, it may signal a kidney issue and requires immediate medical attention.
