Where do you feel kidney pain?
Key facts
- Kidney pain is usually felt in your mid-back, under the ribs, to either side of your spine
- It can be caused by kidney stones, kidney infection or other kidney problems
- Avoiding urinary infections can help prevent kidney pain.
Where are the kidneys?
Your kidneys sit on either side of your backbone (spine), between your ribcage and your hips. They play the important role of cleaning your blood and filtering waste out through your urine (wee).
Kidney pain is also known as renal pain. It is not that common but can be a sign of a kidney problem. Back is usually not due to a kidney problem.
What are the symptoms of kidney pain?
Kidney pain is usually felt in your mid-back, under the ribs, to either side of your spine.
The kidneys are quite small (12 x 6 x 3cm), bean shaped and 150g each. Because of their size and position, neither you nor a doctor can feel them normally.
Each kidney has million tiny filters called glomeruli in them. They cannot be felt either!
Kidney pain can also spread to other areas, like your:
- Sides
- Upper abdomen (tummy)
- Groin (including the scrotum in males).
It is more common to have kidney pain on just one side of the body.
Other symptoms of kidney disease
- Fever
- Feeling unwell or vomiting
- Pain in your sides, back, groin or lower abdomen
- Pain when passing urine
- Blood in your urine
- Urgent need to urinate (do a wee), or passing urine more (or less) frequently or more often at night
- ‘Gravel’ or small kidney stones in your urine
- Of CKD (shortness of breath, whole body itching and ankle swelling).
Back pain due to spinal or muscle problems is usually central and felt in your lower back. Pain due to kidney problems may feel deeper and higher in your back, to the sides and under your ribs.
Back pain is common (very); kidney pain is unusual.
What causes kidney pain?
Kidney pain be may be caused by:
- Kidney stones
- Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)
- Kidney cancer
- Glomerulonephritis (rarely, but can be quite common in one type, IgA Nephropathy)
- Other types of kidney disease.
When should I see my doctor?
You should visit your doctor if you think you have kidney pain. They can diagnose any kidney problems, or refer you to a nephrologist (a kidney physician; non-surgeon) or urologist (kidney surgeon).
How is kidney pain diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you to diagnose the cause of your kidney pain. You will usually be asked to have:
- Blood tests – including U+Es, especially blood creatinine/eGFR
- Urine tests – including urinary dipstick, MSU and urinary ACR (a marker of protein in the urine)
- Kidney ultrasound, CT or MRI scan.
If you have had kidney stones in the past, you may not always need a CT scan. A CT scan exposes you to radiation. An abdominal x-ray may be enough.
How is kidney pain treated?
How your kidney pain is treated depends on:
- The cause of your pain
- The severity of the pain
- How sick you are feeling.
Summary
We have described where do you feel kidney pain, and its causes. We hope it has been useful.
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Last Reviewed on 15 January 2024