Back pain is common: 80% of adults will experience it in their lifetime. Usually, people think of all-over back pain, but one-sided back pain is also a thing. And it can be an annoying thing. Show
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy When to worry about back pain that’s only on the left or right side“Unless you experienced an obvious cause, like a fall, you probably aren’t dealing with a fracture that requires special care,” says spine specialist Russell DeMicco, DO. “Rarely do you need to worry just because your pain is only on the left side or right side of the back.” The exceptions are:
Tissue-related back pain is most commonSpontaneous one-sided back pain can occur for a variety of reasons, but it’s usually related to the soft-tissue (muscle, ligament, joint). The back muscles run up and down the left side and the right side — they don’t cross the midline (spine). So if you irritate a muscle on the left side of your back, you would likely only have pain in that region. “Someone who is experiencing tissue-related pain will feel an aching soreness and stiffness,” says Dr. DeMicco. “Often, the area will be tender to the touch and have restricted range of motion because of the discomfort they feel.” Causes of tissue-related discomfort include:
Usually, muscle-related pain will subside if you use a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), rest the area and use an ice pack. Left- or right-sided organ-related back painIf the pain you experience is a little deeper in the back, and you’re having other symptoms as well, it could be related to an internal organ. See your doctor, because these are signs of an infection or irritation:
When to see a provider about one-sided back pain“If you have pain in the left or right side of your back that started for no particular reason, it will most often resolve on its own or with minimal treatment,” says Dr. DeMicco. “Typically, we see 50% of cases resolving within two weeks and 75% resolving by six to eight weeks.” Have you been dealing with intense pain for 10 days and over-the-counter pain relievers aren’t cutting it? Time to call your doctor, who may recommend:
“If your pain extends beyond six weeks, your doctor will likely recommend imaging,” says Dr. DeMicco. “An X-ray is usually the first step to ensure there isn’t a broken bone or some other obvious reason for the pain.” By Published on Mar 1, 2022 In this article:
The thoracic spine and ribs are like a no man’s land for many physicians, including spine experts. While many physicians are comfortable treating and diagnosing neck and low back problems when it comes to things like pain around the ribs and back symptoms, they draw a blank. First, let’s define what we mean by pain around the ribs and back. Basically, the pain wraps around the back of the rib — generally at least to the side and at times all the way to the front. There is also upper-back pain that often accompanies this pain. Movement usually leads to intense pain or makes it feel like something is “out of place” and needs to be popped back in place. Sometimes specific motions or activities will make this better or worse. Understanding the Thoracic Spine The thoracic spine is between the neck (cervical) and the low back (lumbar). Its bones (vertebrae) are numbered 1-12 and the abbreviation ‘T” is used for “thoracic.” Hence, “T6” means the sixth thoracic vertebra (1). What’s unique is that the ribs attach here to the thoracic vertebrae. These two structures both constrain and define which movements are possible by the other. And because they’re connected, what happens in one is often felt in the other. In addition, the thoracic vertebrae act as pivot points for the ribs as you breathe in and out. This is often why patients experience pain when taking a deep breath. There’s an immense amount going on in the thoracic spine. First, there are facet joints where the two vertebrae meet. There is a spinal nerve that exists in this area at each vertebra. The nerve begins as the thoracic spinal nerve and then continues all the way around to the front of the chest as the intercostal nerve. There’s a disc that acts as a shock absorber as well as a multitude of muscles and ligaments. Then there are two areas where each rib attaches to each vertebra (the costotransverse and costovertebral joints) (2). Realize that there can be problems with any one of these structures that can cause pain around the ribs and back symptoms. Find a Regenexx Location Near You79 clinic locations offering non-surgical Regenexx solutions for musculoskeletal pain. 79 clinic locations offering non-surgical Regenexx solutions for musculoskeletal pain. Find a Location The Top 5 Causes of Pain In Ribs and BackOur clinic has had a special interest in the thoracic spine for many years. As an example, most spinal interventionalists have only ever performed a handful of thoracic epidural or facet injections. I’ve done hundreds of each. In all of those years helping patients with pain in ribs and back recover, these are the top five medical conditions that we see in our clinic:
How Can The Pain Be Treated? Juan’s StoryJuan’s pain around the ribs and back symptoms with spasms began in 2007, and he presented to our clinic in 2020. Any movement, rotation, or flexion/extension made the pain worse, while rest and medication made the pain better. Previously, he had tried ozone injections, steroid injections, and facet injections, which provided temporary relief. Radiofrequency ablation at the T8-T11 facet joints provided relief for only about six to eight months. He had also developed tingling in his right ring finger and pinkie, pain in his right elbow, and weakness in his right hand. This was likely coming from irritation of the brachial plexus by his ribs. We approached Juan’s problems differently, looking at what was causing all of these issues. In particular, one of the ligaments in the back of his spinal canal (ligamentum flavum) was loose and buckling, which was irritating nerves. Hence, we concentrated his own blood platelets (platelet-rich plasma) to inject into that specific ligament to cause some healing and tightening. In addition, we treated the irritated thoracic nerves by injecting a platelet lysate around the nerves (epidural using X-ray guidance). Finally, his facet joints had previously been treated with radiofrequency, which burns the nerve that communicates pain from the joint. Because of this, nobody had ever tried helping the joint with substances that can promote healing. So again I carefully injected high-dose platelet-rich plasma into those joints using sophisticated image guidance technology. How did he do? He’s reporting 90% relief, with pain only during certain activities. As you can see, there’s quite a bit that can cause pain around the ribs and back symptoms. The first order of business is getting an accurate diagnosis of why you hurt, which is what we did with Juan. Rather than injecting Juan with steroids that could harm tissue or burn nerves, we focused on the root cause of his problems and tried to improve the function of the spine. __________________________________________________ Learn about Regenexx procedures for spine conditions.References(1) Thoracic Anatomy. Physiopedia. https://www.physio-pedia.com/Thoracic_Anatomy. Accessed August 12, 2021. (2) Chopra P. Thoracic Pain. In Smith H. Current Therapy in Pain. Elsevier; 2009:194-201. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4160-4836-7.00026-2 Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile If you have questions or comments about this blog post, please email us at [email protected] NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you. Regenexx Updates in Your InboxJoin our free newsletter. Join the Regenexx Newsletter Subscribe to Blog Why do my ribs and middle back hurt?Many things can cause upper and middle back pain. These include poor posture; overuse or injury of the muscles, ligaments, or discs that support the spine; a vertebra fracture; pressure on the spinal nerves from problems such as a herniated disc; and osteoarthritis.
What causes pain on left side of back under ribs?Kidney stones or infection
Your kidneys are part of your urinary tract. They're located on either side of your spine, but when they become inflamed or infected, the pain can radiate to the front of your body. When your left kidney is involved, you might feel pain near the left side of your rib cage.
What organ is on the left side of your middle back?Kidney issues
The kidneys sit underneath the rib cage on the left and right sides of the spine, more towards your back than your stomach. When there are problems with your kidneys, you may experience middle back pain, as well as other signs: Problems urinating.
Can back pain radiate to the rib cage?Spinal pain can be caused by things more severe that might require surgical consideration. These usually involve spinal pain that radiates into arms, legs or around the rib cage from back toward the anterior chest.
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Mid back pain radiating to ribs left side
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