Is There Any Relation Between Kidney Stone and Testicle Pain?

Emergency Medicine, Holy Name Medical Center

Supervised by Tomas Diaz, MD

Kidney stones can sometimes cause pain that feels like it is coming from the testicle due to shared nerve pathways, but they usually do not cause true testicle problems.

Explanation

Kidney stones often cause sharp pain, known as renal colic, when a stone moves through the urinary tract. This pain typically starts in the flank or back and can radiate to the groin area. Because the nerves in the lower urinary tract and those that serve the testicles share similar pathways, the discomfort from a kidney stone can sometimes be felt in the testicle. This is called referred pain. Testicular pain can have many other causes and should be evaluated by a healthcare provider to determine the exact cause.

(References)

Polackwich AS, Arora HC, Li J, Levine L, Tojuola B, Parekattil S, Shoskes DA. Development of a clinically relevant symptom index to assess patients with chronic orchialgia/chronic scrotal content pain. Transl Androl Urol. 2018 May;7(Suppl 2):S163-S168. doi: 10.21037/tau.2018.04.10. PMID: 29928613; PMCID: PMC5989111.
Patti L, Leslie SW. Acute Renal Colic. [Updated 2024 Dec 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
Huang CY, Chen CC, Lee YK, Chong CF, Wang TL, Maddison R, Gaylard L, Su YC. Ovarian torsion caused by teratoma masquerading as renal colic. Emerg Med J. 2008 Mar;25(3):182. doi: 10.1136/emj.2007.053249. PMID: 18299381.

Tell your friends about us.

We would love to help them too.

For First Time Users

What is Ubie’s Doctor’s Note?

We provide a database of explanations from real doctors on a range of medical topics. Get started by exploring our library of questions and topics you want to learn more about.

Learn more about symptoms

Itchy scrotum

Not sure about the cause of your current symptoms?

Try our AI-based symptom check

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, you can get an free AI-powered report on possible causes

Tips to try:

Provide specific, detailed info about all symptoms you have.
Give accurate information about yourself including current conditions.
Answer all follow-up questions

Purpose and positioning of servicesUbie Doctor’s Note is a service for informational purposes, and the provision of information by physicians, medical professionals, etc. is not a medical practice. The provision of information by physicians, medical professionals, etc. is not a medical treatment. If medical treatment is required, please consult your doctor or medical institution. We strive to provide reliable and accurate information, but we do not guarantee the completeness of the content. If you find any errors in the information, please contact us.