Understanding Flank Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Flank pain refers to discomfort in the upper abdomen or the back and sides. It grows in the area below the ribs and above the pelvis. The pain usually worsens on one side of the body.
Flank pain refers to discomfort in the upper abdomen or the back and sides. It grows in the area below the ribs and above the pelvis. The pain usually worsens on one side of the body.
Most people experience flank pain at least once in their lifetime, and the discomfort is usually temporary. However, constant or severe pain in the flank may indicate a serious medical condition, such as dehydration or urinary tract infection. Kidney stones or other kidney problems can also cause persistent flank pain.
Although flank pain is often a symptom of a kidney problem, it can also be the result of other medical conditions if it occurs with additional symptoms. It is essential to see your doctor if you have chronic or severe flank pain, especially if you have other symptoms as well.
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Get A Second OpinionCauses of Flank Pain
Flank pain can be caused by one of the following causes:
- Arthritis
- The back problem, such as disk disease
- Gallbladder disease
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Liver disease
- Muscle spasm
- Kidney stone, infection, or abscess
- Shingles
- Spinal fracture
Diagnosis of Flank Pain
The supplier will examine you. You will be asked questions related to your medical history and symptoms, including:
- Pain location
- When the pain starts, if it's still there or comes and goes, if it gets worse
- If your pain is related to activities or bending over
- What pain looks like, such as a dull, aching, or sharp ache
- What other symptoms do you have
The following tests can be performed:
- Abdominal scanner
- Blood tests to check renal and liver function
- Pulmonary radiography
- Renal or abdominal ultrasound
- X-ray of the lumbosacral spine
- Tests to check the renal and bladder, such as urinalysis and urine culture or cystourethrogram
Treatment of Flank Pain
Rest is the primary therapy for any flank pain. Minor flank pain usually resolves with a combination of rest and physical therapy. Your doctor may also recommend specific exercises you can do to relieve muscle spasms quickly.
Treatment of Flank Pain due to Inflammation
- Treatment for flank pain due to inflammation, such as that which can occur with infections and arthritis, will depend on the specific condition.
- Kidney infections may require hospitalization. Your doctor will give you antibiotics if you have a kidney infection. They may provide you with these antibiotics intravenously or through your veins.
- Physical therapy and exercise programs can often treat arthritis in the spine. Your physician may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to reduce inflammation and discomfort. In some cases, people need surgery to correct a problem with their spine.
Treatment for Kidney Stones
- You'll need to take pain medications and drink lots of fluids to encourage the passing of the kidney stone. In most cases, kidney stones don't require surgery.
- However, your doctor may perform a minor procedure called lithotripsy if larger kidney stones can't quickly exit your body during urination. Lithotripsy involves the use of high-frequency sound waves to break up kidney stones so they can pass through the ureters.
- The ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder. Your doctor may also use other surgical techniques to remove the stones.
- Depending on your level of pain, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription pain relief medications. You may need to stay in the hospital. Talk to your doctor if you continue to experience intense or prolonged flank pain even after treatment.
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Book an AppointmentWhen to See a Doctor?
Call your doctor if your fever and chills do not improve after 48 hours of home care or if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Torticollis
- Wheezing
- Severe Cough
- Shortness of Breath
- Confusion
- Slowness
- Irritability
- Abdominal Pain
- Painful Urination
- Violent Vomiting
- Frequent urination or lack of urination
- Unusual sensitivity to bright light
Prevention of Flank Pain
You could be able to prevent flank pain by:
- Consume at least eight glasses of water a day
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
- Practice safe sex and hygiene
- Eating diet foods, mainly vegetables, fruits, and lean protein
- Exercise at least three times a week
Citations:
Diagnosis of acute flank pain: value of unenhanced helical CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When should I be worried about flank pain?
Most people experience flank pain at least once in their lifetime, and the discomfort is usually temporary. However, constant or severe pain in the flank may indicate a serious medical condition, such as dehydration or urinary tract infection. Kidney stones or another kidney problem can also cause persistent flank pain.
2. What organs are in the flank area?
The pancreas and liver are located deep in the abdomen, just below the rib cage. Sometimes issues with these organs cause pain in the flanks. Pain may also spread to the back. As the liver and pancreas work together to help the body digest food, a problem with one organ can eventually affect the other.
3. How long does flank pain last?
The pain usually comes in waves. A wave can last 20 to 60 minutes and then stop. The pain stops without resuming when the ureter relaxes or the stone passes into the bladder. A kidney infection causes swelling of the kidney tissue, which stretches the kidney capsule, causing constant aching pain.
4. Does IBS cause flank pain?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with alternating constipation and diarrhea has been associated with pain in the right flank, and unsubtyped IBS with pain in the hypogastrium. Patients with functional abdominal pain syndrome reported the right lower flank as the primary center of the pain.
