Life may hit you with an ailment without any warning and might take you by surprise. You may often misjudge and misinterpret the symptoms you might have and panic over the same. Such situations might make you struggle with everyday activities by giving you unnecessary anxiety. Thus, it is always recommended to carefully assess yourself and arm yourself with the best knowledge about your symptoms to avoid unnecessary stress. Often, people confuse something insignificant with a major life-threatening illness. One such source of dilemma is the confusion between back pain due to muscle spasms and back pain due to kidney stones. To help clarify it, we have listed down the key differences between the two categorically so that you may never confuse them again.
Simple back pain and kidney stones induced pain are easy to confuse, as the kidneys are located in the lower back (underneath the ribcage) and thus any problem in them may cause a sharp pain in that area. The key differentiating factors between the two kinds of pain are the type, the location, the way the pain radiates and the severity of the pain. These factors will help you correctly deduce if it’s just a back spasm or stones or infection in the kidneys.
Pain due to renal stones is really sharp whereas that due to a muscle ache or a back spasm is a dull, throbbing one. In case of an injured or irritated nerve, the pain is a sharp, searing feeling running down the back and may travel down to your hips and legs. It may get worse with movement which is not the case with kidney stones. If you don’t undergo treatment for kidney stones, the pain may fluctuate according to the location of the stone until it is passed.
Pain due to kidney and renal stones is usually felt between the ribcage and the hips on one or both sides of the torso. Back pain that is due to a muscle or nerve issue is limited to the back, with some spreading to the upper buttocks as well.
If the aforementioned pain is due to a nerve issue, then the pain may run down from your flank onto your buttocks or leg. A kidney pain, on the other hand, radiates towards your lower abdomen or inner thighs.
Pain due to kidney stones can be searing, sharp and severe. Back pain can vary according to the type and extent of the injury or irritation. It is usually of a dull and throbbing nature, but in the case of serious injury can become unbearable. The pain may get worse after movement or due to prolonged sitting or standing. This is not the case with a renal stone.
It must also be noted that unlike in the case of a muscle or nerve injury, a patient who has not undergone kidney stone treatment will experience some physiological repercussions and symptoms. A renal stone can lead to symptoms like:
If the pain is unbearable and you feel like it is something serious, be sure to consult a doctor as soon as possible. Remember, nothing is more important than your health.
Not necessarily. Muscle spasms often cause similar pain.
Kidney stone pain is between the ribs and hips, while muscle spasms mainly affect the back.
Kidney stone pain can be severe, while muscle spasms cause dull discomfort.
Symptoms include cloudy urine, frequent urination, blood in urine, gravel-like stones in urine, pain while urinating, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
See a doctor if your pain is unbearable, or if you have any other concerning symptoms like blood in your urine. Early diagnosis is key for both muscle spasms and kidney stones.
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801
Updated on 23rd Feb 2024
