Published on: 6/11/2024
What could be causing pain in the right side of my back?
Most commonly back pain is from a muscle cramp/spasm. However, it may also be from a broken bone, pinched nerve or pain from deeper internal organs like the lung, kidney, liver or gallbladder.
Explanation
Some common reasons for pain in your back are:
- Muscle aches from exercise or strenuous activity
- Disc herniation in your spine when the cushions (intervertebral discs) between the bones of your spine move out of place. These discs can pinch and irritate nerves that come out of your spine
- Lung issues infection (pneumonia) or pneumothorac (leak in the lungs the leads to compression of the lung)
- Kidney issues like kidney stones or infection (pyelonephritis)
- Galbladder issues like stones (choledocolithiasis) or infection (cholecystitis)
- Shingles, a painful rash caused by the chickenpox virus
(References)
Gibbs D, McGahan BG, Ropper AE, Xu DS. Back Pain: Differential Diagnosis and Management. Neurol Clin. 2023 Feb;41(1):61-76. doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2022.07.002. Epub 2022 Oct 29. PMID: 36400559.
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