What Causes Right Side Back Pain?

Right Side Back Pain
Dr. Jonathan Hall

Dr. Jonathan Hall

Dr. Hall is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon that specializes in treating patients that suffer from neck pain or back pain. He is able to perform minimally invasive spine surgery and the most complex procedures.

Right side back pain is very common nowadays. Many people experience it at least once in their lives. Some may live with mild back pain, while others experience severe chronic pain, affecting their quality of life. Sometimes, the right side back pain is caused by muscle. But other times, it has nothing to do with back at all. Most of the internal structures such as kidneys, ovaries, appendix, and intestine share nerve endings with tissues in the back so they can radiate pain to your lower back.

Let’s look through the possible causes of pain on the right side of your back, when to consult a doctor and how it’s treated.

Causes of Right Side Back Pain

1. Sprains and Strains

A strain is defined as a torn tendon or muscle, whereas a sprain occurs when a person over-stretches or tears a ligament. As per the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, strains and sprains are among the leading causes of back pain.

Causes of Sprains and Strains

  1. Twisting and jerking your body improperly.
  2. Lifting heavy objects.
  3. Falling from the height.
  4. Not warming up before high-intensity exercise.

Symptoms of Sprain and Strain

  1. Restricted movement due to lower back pain.
  2. Stiffness, aching, or tenderness in the lower back.
  3. Difficulty in standing straight.
  4. Muscle cramp in the lower back.

Treatment may vary from case to case. Mild sprains and strains can be treated at home with bed rest, ice packs, pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

The doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants and strong pain killers to more severe sprains and strains.

2. Kidney Infections

Kidneys are located on both sides of the spine, protected by the rib cage. The right kidney is slightly lower than the left, making it more likely to cause right side back pain if itā€™s infected or inflamed.

An E. coli bacterium is the most common cause of kidney infection. It lives in your bowel and travels into your kidney and bladder through the ureter. Symptoms are similar to other urinary tract infections, including:

  1. Pain in the back and abdomen.
  2. Burning sensation while urination.
  3. Feel an urgent urge to urinate.
  4. Foul-smelling and dark urine.
  5. Vomiting
  6. Chills and fever.

Consult your doctor as soon as possible if you see these symptoms. Untreated kidney infections can lead to severe complications such as kidney failure-or sepsis.

Treatment for kidney infection usually involves “antibiotics.” Doctors also prescribe pain relievers to ease the symptoms.

Drinking adequate water helps prevent fever and dehydration.

3. Kidney Stone

Kidney stones are pebbles like solid structures made up of excess salts and minerals found in urine. Small kidney stones leave your body while urinating without showing symptoms, whereas large kidney stones reside in the ureter, which causes right side pack pain. Pain can also radiate to the lower abdomen and groin.

Other symptoms also include:

  1. Foul-smelling or dark urine.
  2. A Burning sensation while urinating.
  3. Frequent urge to urinate.
  4. Urine consisting of blood.
  5. Difficulty in emptying the bladder fully.
  6. Fevers and chills.

Consult your doctor right away, if you see these symptoms

There are several treatments used by doctors to treat kidney stones, such as

  1. The breakage and removal of kidney stones can be done using several treatments such as shock wave lithotripsy ( SWL), cystoscopy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
  2. Pain killers to help relax the ureter.
  3. Surgery to remove or pulverize stones.

4. Appendicitis

The appendix is a small tube-like organ connected to the large intestine, resides in the lower right side of the body. The exact function of the appendix remains unclear.

Appendicitis is an infection of the appendix, which causes it to swell! About five percent of people, usually aged between 10 to 30 years old, are diagnosed with appendicitis.

Symptoms include

  1. Right side back pain.
  2. Tenderness in the abdomen area.

If you feel any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical help. If appendicitis remains untreated, the appendix may burst and spread its content in the stomach, potentially life-threatening.

Appendectomy (surgical removal of the appendix) is a conventional treatment of appendicitis. In some cases, antibiotics alone can treat it.

5. Herniated Disc

A herniated disc happens when the tough outer covering of shock-absorbing cushions located between adjacent spinal bones ruptures. In most cases, a liquid-like substance on the inside flows out of the disc structure. When the escaped liquid contacts the nearby spinal root, it causes severe pain.

The spinal nerve root is susceptible. Anything that comes into contact with it can cause irritation and radiculopathy symptoms (weakness and electric sensation that goes down to one leg).

A herniated disc is treated by both ” microdiscectomy surgeryā€ or ā€œ six-week physical therapy courseā€ depending on the situation, but if the symptoms persist, then surgery is the only option.

Female-Specific Causes of Right Side Back Pain

1. Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors that may develop on the walls of the uterus. Having them does not necessarily increase the risk of developing “uterine cancer.”

The size of fibroids varies from person to person; they are examined through ultrasound or pelvic examination.

Symptoms may include:

  1. Pain in lower back and legs.
  2. The pressure in the pelvic region.
  3. Heavy bleeding (which can cause anemia).
  4. Excruciating periods.
  5. Infertility (rare).

Treatment options available are:

  1. Hormonal birth control.
  2. OTC pain killers.
  3. Radiofrequency ablation ( use of heat for removal of fibroids tissues)
  4. GnRH agonists

2. Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissues similar to the uterus’s tissues grow outside of the uterine cavity and spread beyond the pelvic region. 1 in 10 females is affected.

If the tissue growth is on the right fallopian tube or ovary, it will irritate surrounding tissues and can cause cramps to the front and right side of the back.

Symptoms

The symptoms can vary from individual to individual. Some women experience severe symptoms, while others have mild to moderate symptoms. The degree of pain does not indicate the severity or stage of the condition.

Pelvic pain is one of the common symptoms. One may also have:

  1. Painful periods.
  2. Pain in the lower abdomen.
  3. Pain in the lower back.
  4. Painful bowel movements.

Treatments available are:

  1. Hormonal therapy.
  2. Laparoscopic surgery.
  3. Pain medications.
  4. Hormonal contraceptive (birth control pills, vaginal rings, and patches).
  5. Surgery to remove growths.

3. Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases

Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the female reproductive system. It occurs mostly when sexually transmitted bacteria are spread to the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes from the vagina.

Symptoms include:

  1. Mild or severe pain in the pelvic region and lower abdomen.
  2. Foul-smelling heavy vaginal discharge.
  3. Painful intercourse.
  4. Fevers and chills.
  5. Frequent and painful urination
  6. Right side back pain.

Consult your doctor as soon as you see symptoms. Delayed treatment can increase the risk of infertility and ectopic pregnancies.

Antibiotics are effective treatment.

4. Pregnancy

Left and right side back pain are common during pregnancy. Mild pain or discomfort can be eased with warm baths; gentle stretching, massage, wearing flat shoes, and acetaminophen (do consult your doctor before taking this).

Pain in the lower back begins during the first trimester because it starts producing a hormoneĀ  ā€œrelaxin,” which helps loosen body ligaments and prepares it for delivery. Itā€™s also a symptom of miscarriage if you feel cramps and see spots.

In the second and third trimester, as the uterus expands to accommodate the growing baby, you experience backaches due to a change in posture; the pain can be on the right side. It depends on the location of the baby. Urinary tract infections are also common during pregnancy.

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

  1. Burning sensation while urinating.
  2. Abdominal pain or discomfort
  3. Foul-smelling and cloudy urine.

Consult your doctor as soon as you see these symptoms; untreated urinary tract infections can cause a kidney infection, leading to further complications for both mother and the baby.

Male-Specific Causes of Right Side Back Pain

1. Testicular Torsion

Testicular torsion can cause right side back pain in men.

Testicular torsion occurs when the testicle inside the scrotum rotates, which consequently twist the spermatic cord. It can block or reduce blood flow to the testicle, and the damage is irreversible.

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

  1. Severe pain in groin and testicle.
  2. Pain can also be radiated back.
  3. Bloody semen.

Itā€™s a medical emergency; seek immediate medical help as soon as you see symptoms. Treatment for this is a surgical procedure to untwist the spermatic cord or remove the testicle.

When to See a Doctor?

If you are experiencing persistent and severe right side back pain, consult your doctor immediately.

Also, get medical attention for right side back pain that accompanies nausea, vomiting, painful intercourse, stool having pus and blood, fever, pain in the groin, and irregular periods.

In most cases, right side back pain can be managed simply at home and through lifestyle modifications:

  1. At least have 8 ounces of water every day.
  2. Limit the intake of animal protein and salt.
  3. Use proper lifting techniques.
  4. Practice stretching daily.
  5. Apply ice or heat to reduce inflammation and reduce pain.
  6. Take pain killers such as Advil, Motrin after consulting your doctor.

Are these Spine Surgeries Minimally Invasive?

Yes, all these spine surgeries are.

What Health Insurances are Accepted at Florida Surgery Consultants?

Currently we are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Medicare, Bright Health, and Cigna Health Springs plans. If you have health insurance that is not listed, please contact our office, many times we can accept patients that have plans with out of network benefits. If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident or a personal injury case we can also see you. We can also help patients with workersā€™ compensation injuries.