Health Encyclopedia

Flank pain

Definition

Flank pain refers to pain in one side of the body between the upper abdomen and the back.

Alternative Names

Pain - side; Side pain

Considerations

Flank pain often means kidney trouble. If flank pain is accompanied by fever, chills, blood in the urine, or frequent or urgent urination, then a kidney problem is the likely cause.

Common Causes

Kidney problems
- Acute pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
- Kidney stone
- Kidney abscess
Shingles (flank pain with one-sided rash)
Spinal arthritis
Disk disease
Muscle spasm

Home Care

Treatment depends on the cause. Follow your provider's instructions.

Rest, physical therapy, and exercise may be recommended for flank pain caused by muscle spasm.

Anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy may be prescribed for flank pain caused by spinal arthritis. Continue physical therapy exercises at home.

Antibiotics are used to treat most kidney infections. Plenty of fluids and pain medications are used to treat kidney stones. Hospitalization may be required for either condition.

Call your health care provider if

There is flank pain accompanied by high fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting.
There is blood (red or brown color) in the urine.
There is prolonged, unexplained flank pain.

What to expect at your health care provider's office

If the pain is related to an injury, this condition will be stabilized. Then the provider will obtain your medical history and perform a physical examination.

Medical history questions documenting flank pain in detail may include the following:

Is the pain on one side only (unilateral) or both sides?
Which side?
Is the pain mild?
Is the pain periodic and changing intensity over minutes?
Is the pain crampy or colicky?
Is the pain severe enough to require narcotic pain relievers?
Did the pain begin recently?
Has the pain been gradually getting worse over months?
Did the pain rapidly get worse?
Does the pain go into your groin?
Does the pain go into your back?
Does the pain go up into your chest?
Does the pain occur with nausea or vomiting?
What other symptoms are also present?

Fluid intake and output may be monitored and recorded.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include the following:

Urinalysis and urine culture
Renal or abdominal ultrasound
Abdominal CT scan
Cytoscopy
Intravenous pyelography
Retrograde ureteropyelography
Serial urine and serum analysis
Voiding cystourethrography
Lumbosacral spine x-ray

Review Date:1/22/2007
Reviewed By:Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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