Back pain is one of the most common complaints that patients consult a doctor with. Such a symptom has a different origin, localization, character, etc. can be. In particular, if a person has a pain on the right side of the back, it can indicate both minor injuries and the development of serious pathologies.
It is worth noting that the cause of pain on the right side of the back does not necessarily lie in pathological processes related to the back or back. Pain can be radiation, that is, it can indicate diseases of various organs and systems. Now we will consider what types of painful syndromes are detected, the reasons for their occurrence, as well as the principles of diagnosis.
Types of pain
Before looking for the causes of any unpleasant feelings, it is necessary to understand their classification. In this case, the question is what kind of back pain is on the right.
The ability to recognize the pain syndrome, its specificity and nature will allow you to talk about your feelings and more accurately convey the clinical picture to the doctor. At the same time, the doctor who receives the description of the symptoms can make assumptions about the origin of the pain. This will greatly facilitate the process of determining the diagnosis and prescribing treatment in the future.
Pain consists of the following types:
sharp pain
One of the most common types of pain and, moreover, the most severe. They are characterized by increased intensity, as well as the suddenness of their occurrence. It is difficult to tolerate by patients, requires the use of painkillers. In most cases, acute pain is successfully stopped with analgesics or antispasmodics. Such a pain syndrome is characterized by a short duration, it occurs as sharply as it disappears, but these manifestations of the condition are cyclical.
Acute back pain
Acute subtype characterized by intensity and suddenness. They are characterized as stabbing or cutting, and back pain is so strong and unexpected that a person literally "twists". Patients with acute pain are constantly nervous because they are constantly waiting for a new attack that cannot be predicted. Sharp pain on the right side often radiates to the back, that is, it radiates even if its epicenter is in the front of the body.
Dull pain on the right side
In terms of diversity, the second type of pain syndrome differs from the first with less high intensity. The main drawback of dull pains is their methodicality and persistence. Such painful sensations do not disappear for a long time, they constantly disturb a person, even in sleep. Due to the low intensity, dull pains are easier to tolerate, but at the same time, they are worse relieved by drugs, because in such cases it is important to directly affect the causes of the pain syndrome.
Aching pain in right back
In most cases, one of the types of dull pain that spreads to the back from another department, especially often occurs with various diseases of these organs. In addition, aching pain is often a sign of overuse of the back muscles, not only as a result of physical exertion at work or in the gym. Pain on the right under the ribs from the back appears due to muscle tension due to prolonged forced stay in an uncomfortable position.
Pain on the right side
The second type of dull pain is also characterized by monotony, stability and duration. In this case, the intensity of the pain is also low, but all dull pains have an unpleasant feature - they increase for a short time with unsuccessful, careless movements, a sharp change in body position. In this case, a person feels a short-term flare of pain, which can be replaced by numbness, the pain syndrome becomes sluggish again. Pulling pains got such a name, for example, when a pulling pain from the lumbosacral region spreads to the right leg, it feels like something is pulling on a muscle or bone.
In addition to the above gradation, the division of the pain syndrome into the main types is the classification of weak and severe pain. Unfortunately, these indicators are subjective, because they depend on the individual characteristics of each individual's body. First of all, we are talking about sensitivity, pain threshold, but in any case, the intensity of experienced unpleasant sensations is very important to convey to the attending physician.
Information about the nature and intensity of the pain syndrome, as well as its localization, allows the doctor not only to suggest a possible cause of discomfort, but also to roughly understand the stage of development of the pathological process.
Why does it hurt and why?
As mentioned earlier, there are many causes of pain in the right hypochondrium from the back, as well as above or below the thoracic region, as well as on the right. At the same time, the pain syndrome is surprisingly different in terms of intensity, character, and localization. In addition, the back, joints and spine are not always the cause of pain syndrome.
Let's consider the most common causes of pain on the right side of the back:
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is the leader in frequency and prevalence, it can cause the discussed symptoms. The pathological process is characterized by dystrophic disorders in the cartilage of the spine, followed by the development of an inflammatory process in the adjacent tissues. At the same time, the condition of the spine worsens, the roots of the spinal cord are damaged or the lumen of the spinal canal narrows. Pain under the right rib or only on the side appears with the development of pathology in the thoracic or lumbar region. By its nature, the pain is often dull, aching or pulling, aggravated by bending, careless movements and physical exertion.
Radiculitis
A pathology accompanied by damage to the roots of the spinal cord, in which the patient suffers from intense pain, depending on the individual, dull or acute. With this disease, pain often radiates not only to the right side of the back, but also to the shoulder blade, right shoulder, etc.
Torn
A formation between the vertebrae that helps the intervertebral disc protrude. This pathology is accompanied by a constant pain syndrome with unpleasant sensations of aching or pulling nature. With intervertebral hernia, the pain increases during the day, there is a peak of intensity in the evening. When the pain is formed at the level of the corresponding pair of vertebrae, it is given to the right hypochondrium. Abrupt movements, lifting weights, or palpation of the site of herniation respond with sharp, strong back pain.
Spondylosis
Deformation of the spinal column is caused by the spread of the bone tissues of the vertebra. Due to the expansion, the nerve endings of the spinal cord are compressed, a stable and constant pain syndrome develops. Unpleasant sensations are dull, painful, pulling at the same time, and do not weaken even during sleep or sleep.
The four points described above are only diseases of the back and spine, hernias, osteochondrosis, protrusions, etc. refers to the resulting pain. In addition, it is important to know other possible causes of pain:
Pathologies of the urinary system
A vivid example of this type of pathology is urolithiasis, which is accompanied by the formation of stones. In this case, the localization of pain depends on the localization of stones. If they form in the lower part of the ureter, severe pain will appear in the lower back, giving it to the side.
Sciatica
A feature of sciatica is a disruption of the sciatic nerve, after which inflammation occurs in a certain area. Due to the fact that the sciatic nerve is the longest in the body and begins in the lower back, pain that radiates to the back with this disease is not uncommon. By nature, they are sharp, strong, stabbing, but occur in attacks described by patients as severe back pain.
kidney problems
The most common disease in this category is pyelonephritis, that is, an inflammatory process in the kidneys of bacterial etiology. At this time, depending on which kidney is inflamed, pain is felt in the lower part of the right or left side. The pain is often dull and aching, but can also resemble renal colic. In this case, renal colic is a separate kidney disease, which is also accompanied by pain on the right side of the back. However, in this case, the pain syndrome is very strong and can cover the entire lumbar region with the development of the pathology.
Liver disease
As you know, the liver is located on the right side of the abdominal cavity. Therefore, pathologies of this organ are very often accompanied by pain on the right side of the back. Among the pathological processes, the most unpleasant and painful is liver colic or cirrhosis of the liver. A greater level of danger is a rare liver hernia, in which a person suffers from severe pain accompanied by internal bleeding.
Pathologies of the stomach and intestines
There are many different diseases of the stomach and intestines that are accompanied by unpleasant sensations that spread to the back. These are acute forms of gastritis, stomach ulcer, intestinal colic, etc. However, diseases of this nature are accompanied by other symptoms (nausea, stool disorders, vomiting, etc. ).
Diseases of the respiratory system
In this case, lung diseases are directly considered, among which pleurisy (inflammation of the pleural tissue), pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) are the most common, and tuberculosis is also among the possible problems. In each case, when the right lung is affected, there will be pain on the right side. The pains are of a different nature, mostly sharp and stabbing, tending to intensify during coughing.
Heart pathologies
Ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction are mainly considered. At the same time, pain sensations in the lumbar region, on the right side of the back, arise due to girdle pains, which are sharp and stabbing, tension, coughing, deep breathing, etc.
Gallbladder inflammation or acute cholecystitis
Another common problem in which patients complain of severe pain in the right side of the abdominal cavity. However, the pain radiates to the right side or even under the right shoulder blade. All unpleasant feelings mainly arise after eating delicious food and alcoholic beverages. The clinical picture is completed by nausea, vomiting, bitterness in the oral cavity.
Pregnancy
In pregnant women, pain occurs more often in the beginning or middle of the third trimester. This is explained by the growth of the fetus, because in the later stages it reaches quite large sizes, which significantly increases the load on the future mother's back. In addition, painful sensations also arise due to a change in the center of gravity, which means that individual muscles are more heavily loaded. In such cases, the pain may appear in the right lower part, occurs mainly in the lower back, and disappears when the woman rests.
Of course, we must not forget another very common factor - mechanical damage. In this case, the cause of any discomfort is bumps, bruises, sprains, sprains and fractures. Also, this item can refer to muscle pain in the back caused by excessive physical exertion.
In any case, even knowing all the possible variables, it is difficult to determine the exact cause of pain syndrome on the right side of the back. Therefore, the causes and treatment of pain are inseparable concepts. Be sure to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Diagnosis - who to contact?
First, you need to go to a local therapist, who will refer you to a narrow specialist based on complaints. Depending on the underlying cause of the pain on the right side of the back, this specialist may be a neurologist, urologist, gastroenterologist or cardiologist.
To understand why the right back hurts, a number of diagnostic measures are required, which differ depending on various factors. First, the doctor conducts a preliminary examination by palpation of the place indicated by the patient. Only after the examination it becomes clear which examinations are needed:
- radiography;
- computed tomography (CT);
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
- fluorography;
- Blood, urine, stool tests;
- Measurement of pressure and heart rate;
- fibrogastroduodenoscopy with the possibility of gastric juice sampling and tissue biopsy;
- Ultrasound of a certain organ, etc.
Each method aims to create a problem in a certain area, organs, spine, etc. It is only necessary to remember that in such cases it is mandatory to consult a doctor, and self-treatment is strictly prohibited.