Back pain is one of the most common complaints that patients seek medical attention. Such a symptom may have different origins, sites, characteristics, etc. v. In particular, if a person has pain on the right side from the back, this can indicate both minor trauma and the development of serious pathologies.
It is worth noting that the cause of pain in the right half of the back does not necessarily lie in pathological processes involving the spine or back. The pain can be diffuse, that is, it can indicate diseases of various organs and systems. We will now consider what types of painful syndromes are found, what causes them, as well as the principles of diagnosis.
Types of pain
Before looking for the cause of any unpleasant sensations, it is necessary to understand their classification. In this case, the question is what kind of right back pain.
The ability to recognize pain syndrome, its specificity and nature, will give you the opportunity to more accurately convey the clinical picture to your doctor, telling you how you feel. At the same time, the doctor, after receiving a description of the symptoms, can make assumptions about the origin of the pain. This will help simplify the process of determining the diagnosis and prescribing treatment in the future.
Pain is of the following types:
deep pain
One of the most common types of pain, and besides, the most intense pain. They are characterized by their increased intensity, as well as their abruptness. They are difficult to tolerate by patients, requiring the use of pain relievers. In most cases, acute pain is successfully terminated with analgesics or antispasmodics. Such pain syndrome is characterized by a short duration, it occurs as suddenly as it disappears, but these manifestations of cases are cyclical in nature.
Severe back pain
An acute subspecies, characterized by intensity and abruptness. They are characterized by stabbing or cutting, while the back blows are so strong and unexpected that literally "twist" the patient. Patients experiencing sharp pain are always irritable, they are often in a state of waiting for a new, unpredictable pain. Acute pain on the right side often radiates posteriorly, i. e. it radiates, even if its epicenter is in the front of the body.
Dull pain in right side
The second type of pain syndrome in its diversity, differs from the first in much less intensity. The main disadvantage of dull ache is methodical and constant. Such painful sensations do not go away for a long time, they bother a person constantly, even in dreams. Due to their mild intensity, the dull pains are more tolerable, but at the same time, they are relieved more severely by medication, since in these cases it is important to address the cause of the syndrome directly. pain.
Pain in right back
One of the types of dull pain, which in most cases radiates to the back from another part, especially often occurs with various diseases of the organs. Additionally, aches and pains are often a sign of overuse of the back muscles, not just from exertion at work or in the gym. Pain on the right side below the ribs from behind appears due to muscle tension caused by being forced in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
Right side pain
The second type of dull pain, also characterized by monotony, continuity and protractedness. The intensity of the pain in this case is also low, but all dull pains have an unpleasant character - they increase in the short term with unsuccessful movements, carelessness, sharp changes in body position. , v. v. In this case, a person experiences a brief flare of pain, which can be replaced by numbness, the pain syndrome becoming sluggish again. Hence, drawing pains are so named, they cause the feeling that something is pulling on the muscle or bone, for example, when the pain pulls from the radial area to the right leg.
In addition to the above classification, the main division of pain syndromes into categories is the classification into severe pain and severe pain. Unfortunately, these indicators are subjective, as they depend on the individual characteristics of each person's body. First of all, we are talking about sensitivity, pain threshold, but in any case, the intensity of unpleasant sensations experienced is very important to convey to the attending physician.
Information on the nature and intensity, as well as the localization of the pain syndrome, allows the physician not only to suggest possible causes of discomfort, but also to roughly understand what stage of development the pathological process is at. .
Why does it hurt and why?
As mentioned earlier, there are many causes of pain in the right hypochondrium from behind from behind, as well as above or below the chest area, but can also be on the right side. At the same time, pain syndromes vary widely in intensity, nature, and locality. In addition, the back, joints, and spine are not always the cause of pain syndrome.
Take a look at the most common causes of pain on the right side of the back:
Bone tumor
Osteosarcoma ranks first in frequency and incidence, it is he who can cause the symptoms discussed. 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 greatly deteriorates, invasion of the roots of the spinal cord or narrowing of the spinal canal occurs. Pain under the ribs on the right or only on one side occurs with the development of pathology in the thoracic or lumbar region. In essence, the pain is usually dull, aching or pulling, aggravated by bending over, careless movement, and exertion.
Tooth decay
As a disease accompanied by damage to the spinal cord roots, the patient has severe pain depending on the person, dull or acute. With this disease, the pain often spreads not only to the right back but also down to the shoulder blade, right shoulder, etc. v.
Herniation
The formation between the vertebrae, which contributes to the protrusion of the disc. This pathology is accompanied by a constant pain syndrome with unpleasant sensations of aching or pulling nature. With a herniated disc, the pain increases during the day, with the greatest intensity in the evening. Pain is brought to the right hypochondrium when formed at the level of the corresponding pair of vertebrae. Vigorous movements, lifting weights, or palpation of the site of a hernia will respond with a strong backache.
Spondylolisthesis
Spinal deformity due to proliferation of bony tissues of the vertebrae. Due to dilation, the nerve endings of the spinal cord are compressed, forming a stable and continuous pain syndrome. The feeling of discomfort is at the same time dull, aching, natural, does not weaken even when lying down or sleeping.
The four points described above refer to pain caused by diseases of the back and spine, hernia, osteochondrosis, protrusion, and so on. v. But beyond this, it's important to know other possible causes of pain:
Diseases of the urinary system
A prominent example of pathology of this type is urolithiasis, which is accompanied by stone formation. In this case, the localization of the pain depends on the localization of the stone. If they are formed in the lower part of the ureters, severe pain will appear in the lower back, to the side.
Sciatica body pain
A feature of sciatica is an infiltration of the sciatic nerve, after which it becomes inflamed in a certain area. Since the sciatic nerve is the longest in the body and begins in the lumbar region, with this disease, pain radiating to the back is not uncommon. They are sharp, strong, stabbing in nature, but they occur during attacks described by patients as severe back pain.
kidney problems
The most common disease in this group is pyelonephritis, which is an inflammatory process in the kidneys caused by bacteria. In this case, pain is felt in the lower right or left side, depending on the kidney that has become inflamed. The pain is usually dull and aching, but can also resemble renal colic. In this case, the renal colic was a separate kidney disease, also accompanied by pain on the right side from the back. However, in this case, the pain syndrome is very strong and, with the development of pathology, can cover the entire lumbar region.
Liver failure
As you know, the liver is located on the right side of the abdomen. Accordingly, the pathology of this organ is often accompanied by pain in the right back from the back. Among the pathological processes, the most unpleasant and painful are hepatic colic or cirrhosis. An even greater degree of threat is a rare rupture of the liver, in which a person experiences severe pain, accompanied by internal bleeding.
Diseases of the stomach and intestines
There are many different diseases of the stomach and intestines, accompanied by unpleasant sensations radiating to the back. These are acute forms of gastritis, peptic ulcer, intestinal colic, etc. v. 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 implied, with pleurisy (inflammation of the pleural tissue), pneumonia (pneumonia) being considered the most common, and tuberculosis also among the problems. can happen. In each case, pain on the right side will appear when the right lung is affected. Pains of a different nature, mainly sharp and stabbing, tend to increase with coughing.
Heart disease
Mainly coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction are taken into account. At the same time, there are painful sensations in the back, in the back of the right side of the chest due to spasms, acute and sharp in nature, aggravated by exertion, coughing, deep breathing, etc. v.
Cholecystitis or acute cholecystitis
Another common problem patients complain of is severe pain in the right side of the abdominal cavity. However, the pain spreads to the right side or even below the right shoulder blade. All unpleasant sensations mainly arise after eating junk food, alcoholic beverages. The clinical picture is complemented by nausea, vomiting, a bitter sensation in the oral cavity.
Pregnancy
The pain in pregnant women occurs more often in the beginning or middle of the last 3 months of pregnancy. This is explained by the growth of the fetus, since in the later stages it reaches a rather large size, which significantly increases the load on the back of the expectant mother. In addition, painful sensations also arise because the center of gravity shifts accordingly, putting more load on individual muscles. In such cases, the pain may appear in the lower right side, they occur mainly in the lumbar region and disappear when the pregnant woman is at rest.
Of course, we must not forget another very common factor - mechanical damage. In this case, the cause of any discomfort was blows, bruises, sprains, dislocations, and fractures. Alternatively, this object may be attributed to muscle pain from overexertion in the back.
In any case, it is difficult to determine the exact cause of the right side pain syndrome from the back, even knowing all the possible variables. That is why diagnosing the cause and treating the pain are two inseparable concepts. To correctly establish the diagnosis, be sure to consult a doctor.
Diagnosis - who to contact?
You should first visit your local therapist, who will, based on complaints, refer you to a narrow specialist. 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 is painful, several diagnostic measures are needed, which also vary depending on different factors. Initially, the doctor conducts the initial examination by palpating the patient's designated place. It is only after testing that it becomes clear what to check:
- X-ray;
- Computed tomography (CT);
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
- Meteorology;
- Blood, urine, and stool tests;
- Measure pressure and heart rate;
- Fibroscopic endoscopy with the ability to sample gastric juices and tissue biopsies;
- Ultrasound of a specific organ, v. v.
Each method allows you to establish a problem in a specific area, to detect damage to organs, spine, etc. v. It is important to remember that contacting a doctor in such cases is mandatory and self-medication is strictly prohibited.