What is lower right back pain?

Back pain, in general, is a very normal sensation felt by many people. But occasionally it is felt primarily on the lower right side, rather than being spread evenly across the back. This type of pain has different causes, symptoms, and treatments than normal back pain, which is why the person should know the precise location of the pain to get an accurate diagnosis. “According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 80 percent of adults in the United States will experience low back pain at some point in their lives." (Healthline, 2019)

Pain in the lower part of the back is very common because it is the part that carries the most weight in the body which could lead to injuries, inflammations or other painful causes.

Each cause leads to a different type of pain. It could vary from a dull ache that comes and goes to a sharp shooting pain that lasts a long time. It could be specific to just the lower right side or it could spread to the back of the legs too.

What are the causes of lower right back pain?

Many causes lead to lower right back pain:

• Sprains and strains

  Sprains and strains are the number one cause of lower back pain. They occur when the ligaments in the back get tired and stretch out. This happens due to injuries, any sudden movement, or lifting heavy objects. If the ligament harmed is on the right side of the back, it will lead to extreme pain in this area. “According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, strains and sprains are the leading causes of acute back pain.” (Medical News Today, 2019)

  The body heals this injury by itself without the need for extra treatments, but some people prefer to take some medications and do some physical therapy to fasten the healing process.



• Radiculopathy

  Radiculopathy is an inflammation in the root of a spinal nerve. It could be a result of an injury or a herniated disc, meaning a slip in the disc of the spine. This leads to a compression and to a painful feeling in the lower back pain and could occur on either sides.

  Since the causes differ in this case, so do the treatments. One can go from anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy and losing weight, to steroid injections.

• Spinal stenosis

  Spinal stenosis is a condition where the space around the spinal cord becomes smaller which leads to more pressure on the spine and the nerves. This increased pressure leads to numbness in the lower back and in the legs, followed by extreme pain. It occurs because of arthritis.

  The treatments for this case vary from medications and prescribed drugs to physical therapy and steroid injections. And in extreme cases, surgery is recommended.

  

• Intervertebral disc degeneration

  Intervertebral disc degeneration is a very common condition especially for elderlies. It occurs when the discs that hold the bones in the back and the vertebrae degenerate. This happens mostly in the lower back and leads to an extreme pain due to the increased friction between the vertebrae.

  Intervertebral disc degeneration is a common condition in which the discs that support the bones or vertebrae in the spine degenerate.

  Surgery followed by physical therapy is the most recommended treatment in this case.

• Infections

  Infections that lead to pain in the lower right part of the back come in many forms. It is either an infection in the spinal cord, the pelvis, the intervertebral discs, or the kidneys. Since the kidneys sit slightly toward the right hand-side of the back, this is where the pain hits the most. Infections occur because of the reaching of bacteria to some places.

  Antibiotics are the most recommended treatments to remove the infection and relieve the patient from the pain.

  

• Kidney stones

  Everyone knows what kidney stones are. They are common, small, and very uncomfortable. Having kidney stones leads to an extreme pain especially on the lower right part of the back. Some kidney stones are too small to cause that much pain, but others become stuck and cause extreme pain.

  The only treatment is removing these stones by breaking them into smaller pieces for excretion. If this does not work, the only solution is surgery.

  

• Appendicitis

  Appendicitis is the infection of a small pouch next to the large intestine called the appendix. When this occurs, it leads to pain in the abdomen that causes a sensation of pain in the right side of the body, especially the back. It requires surgery as a treatment. This type of surgery is very known and is not painful at all, and it is needed to fix this problem.

• Spinal tumor

  A spinal tumor grows on the spinal cord or on the spinal column. It is not very common and its cause is sometimes unknown. In some cases, the cause is cancerous cells that are replicating in an aggressive way.

  The spinal tumor adds pressure on the spine and on the nerves, which leads to pain.

  If the cause of this tumor is cancer, then the treatment is radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or any other cancer treatment like a tumor removal surgery.

Causes specific to females

Causes of pain in the lower right side of the back that are specific to females can include:

• Endometriosis

  Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that is supposed to grow next to the uterus is growing in other parts of the body like around the ovaries, the vagina, and the cervix. This case leads to extreme pain in the lower back on the side of the pelvis.

  It has other various symptoms, such as very painful cramps during menstruation or vaginal intercourse, pain during urination, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

  There is no direct cure to this problem, so all treatments focus on just reducing symptoms and lowering the pain. These treatments are pain relievers, hormonal birth control, and surgical procedures.

  

• Uterine fibroids

  Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow in the uterus. They are not dangerous but should be removed because they have many symptoms. They vary in sizes and they are only detectable by ultrasound.

  Not everyone will detect symptoms, but the main ones are lower back pain, leg pain, pressure in the pelvis, constipation, and very long periods.

  People who do not suffer from any symptoms do not need treatments. But for those who do feel pain, taking pain relievers and undergoing surgery to remove the growth is better.

• Pelvic inflammatory disease

  Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, is a sexually transmitted disease that leads to the infection of the uterus and the ovaries and leads to lower right back pain. Medications should be taken to heal it.

  

Causes specific to males

• Testicular torsion

  Testicular torsion is the number one cause of lower back pain for males. It happens when the testicle moves inside the scrotum leading to the twist of the spermatic cord. This reduces or even blocks the blood arriving to the testicles which causes extreme damage.

  This condition has many symptoms other than the lower right back pain. It leads to nausea, vomiting, blood in the semen and the swelling of the scrotum.

  Testicular torsion is very dangerous and should be taken very seriously. The only treatment is a surgical procedure that either untwists the spermatic cord or removes the testicle.

• When is it serious?

  Lower right back pain could be mild or severe. In severe cases that are persistent and get worse each day, consulting a doctor is very important to treat it early.

  Other symptoms that show that the case is serious and should be treated immediately, are:

  • painful and bloody urination

  • fever

  • nausea

  • vomiting

  • pain during or after sexual intercourse

  • irregular periods

  Any of these signs mean that the case is very serious, and a doctor should be consulted.

  

How to treat lower right back pain?

As previously mentioned, when the pain becomes very severe or if other more dangerous symptoms start to show, consulting a doctor is the only solution.

The treatments vary from simple at-home treatments to whole lifestyle modifications.

Applying ice or heat on the painful area helps with easing any swelling and inflammation. To add, taking prescribed medications, like anti-inflammatory ones and pain relieving ones, help decrease the pain temporarily.

To add, since many of the causes of lower right back pain have to do with kidney issues, then drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day and limiting the intake of animal protein and salt might help a lot.

Finally, while exercising or just lifting anything off the ground, being careful is a must. Bending low with the knees in a squat position and holding the item close to the chest is a proper lifting technique that will not harm the back even more. Some stretching exercises to fix all tight muscles are also recommended.

References

“What Causes Pain in the Right Side of the Lower Back?”. Healthline. 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/health/pain-in-lower-back-right-side

“What causes back pain on the lower right side?”. Medical News Today. 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325252#summary

If you or anyone you know is suffering from pain, call us today on (469) 562 4188 to book an appointment with our expert doctors.