Kidney Pain vs. Back Pain: How to Tell the Difference

Back pain is incredibly common. Most adults will have it at some point in their lives. Sometimes, you know what happened — like trying a new workout, lifting something heavy, or sitting for too long. But muscle strains and spasms aren’t the only cause of back pain. In fact, there are other important organs in your back — like the kidneys.

So, how do you know if your kidneys are the cause of your back pain? Let’s review some clues that can help to tell the difference between kidney pain and back pain.

Kidney pain vs. back pain: Key differences

We’ll go into more detail below, but here’s a quick look at the key differences between kidney pain and back pain.

What causes back pain?

Most back pain comes from the muscles, bones, or discs of the spine. It can often be the result of injury, wear and tear, or repetitive movements, as well as other conditions.

Here’s an overview of the most common causes of back pain:

• Muscles: Muscle tension or strain is the most common reason for sudden back pain.

• Bones: Pain in the bones of the spine can occur with a fracture, arthritis, scoliosis, or a tumor.

• Discs: These are the cushions between the bones of the spine. Sometimes, they push against spinal nerves and cause pain.

• Blood vessels: If the largest blood vessel in the body — the aorta — is damaged or leaking, it causes severe back pain.

• Organs: Back pain can also come from internal organs like the kidneys, uterus, ovaries, gallbladder, or pancreas.

What causes kidney pain?

To understand kidney pain, it helps to know where the kidneys are and what they do. The kidneys are located in the back of the abdominal cavity, deep inside the body. Most people have two kidneys: one on each side of the spine. By producing urine, they get rid of waste products from the blood and keep your electrolytes in balance. Urine is then carried down into the bladder by the ureters.

Here are the most common causes of kidney pain.

Kidney pain vs. back pain: What does each one feel like?

It can be difficult to know when your back pain is coming from your back or kidney. There’s no sure way to know, but there are usually some clues that can help:

• Location of the pain: Kidney pain is often felt on either the left or right flank (side), under the rib cage, in the middle part of the back. It can radiate down into the groin. Back pain, however, is usually in the low back, closer to the spine.

• Type of pain: Kidney pain can feel deep, dull, and constant. It can start suddenly or come in waves. Many people say kidney pain feels quite different from typical back pain. Back pain due to muscle strain can also feel tender to the touch, unlike kidney pain.

• Association with movement: Kidney pain usually doesn’t get worse with lifting, twisting, or bending like muscle pain does. It tends to make people want to move around, whereas back pain can often feel better with rest.

• Additional symptoms: A fever with back pain points toward infection in the kidneys. Blood in the urine or nausea and vomiting along with back pain may signal an infection or kidney stone. Back pain typically doesn’t cause other symptoms like these.

When should you get medical attention?

There are some warning signs that your back pain may be something more serious. Get medical attention if you have back pain and also the following:

• A recent fall or injury to your back

• Weakness or numbness in one or both legs

• Fever or chills

• Nausea and vomiting

• Painful urination

• Dark or bloody urine

• Inability to urinate

• Weight loss without trying

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Written by:

Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH

Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH has been a board-certified physician since 1999. She was a full-scope family physician (inpatient, outpatient, obstetrics, and office procedures) in the Cook County Ambulatory Health Network for 15 years.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She is co-executive director at Nonclinical Physicians Network and has served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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