Where is flank located

Kidney infections , which can happen when a urinary tract infection moves up from your bladder to your kidneys, can also cause flank pain.

In addition to flank pain, you may have a fever, chills, painful urination or nausea. Flank pain that is accompanied by a rash on one side of your body can be a sign of shingles , which is caused by the varicella-zoster chicken pox virus. Liver disease or gastrointestinal problems may also cause pain in your flank. Do you have a spine issue that is causing pain? Our spine experts can help.

Previous Next. View Larger Image. Rest and physical therapy are enough to improve minor pain. However, if flank pain is due to kidney problems or some other serious illness, your doctor may advise for hospitalization. Causes of flank pain: You may suffer from flank pain due to numerous health factors. Some possible causes of flank pain are: Problems related to kidneys: Kidney stones Kidney abscess Kidney infections Chronic dehydration Bladder infection Arthritis and particularly spinal arthritis.

Spinal fracture Shingles Muscle spasm Disc disease Some less-common factors responsible for flank pain: Pancreatitis Appendicitis Pneumonia Blockage in the urinary tract Inflammatory bowel disease Abdominal aortic aneurysm What are the symptoms associated with flank pain? Symptoms of flank pain: If it is due to kidney problems, you may feel the symptoms like fever, dizziness, skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, bloody urine, pain during urination, etc.

Diagnosing the cause of flank pain: During your visit, your doctor may ask a few questions to know the exact causes of flank pain. You should be ready to give information on: The exact location of pain How long you have been experiencing the pain What type of pain are you feeling The duration and frequency of the pain Any other symptom with this pain In addition, your doctor may advise one or more of these tests: Ultrasonography or X-rays of abdomen.

CT scan of the abdomen. Urine culture. When to contact a medical professional? You should meet a healthcare professional if you suffer from any of these conditions: Flank pain accompanied by high fever, chill, nausea or vomiting. Bloody or dark urine. The muscles of the stomach, the back, and even the chest may cause flank pain.

Some common causes of muscle pain include:. The flank pain is usually on the side of the injured muscle. However, people who have muscle pain due to a sedentary lifestyle may experience pain on both sides or pain that moves back and forth between sides.

Muscle injuries are among the most common causes of flank pain. Muscle pain can be very intense, but the intensity of the pain is not necessarily a measure of the severity of the injury.

Urinary tract infections UTIs develop when harmful bacteria enter the urinary tract, infecting the bladder, urethra, or kidneys. Most UTIs stay in the lower urinary tract. These infections are more common in women than in men. They sit in the mid-back, just under the ribs. People may feel pain from the kidneys in their back or flanks.

Some kidney problems develop when an infection spreads from the bladder. Kidney disease can also be genetic or occur as a result of a problem with another organ. Anyone who has flank pain and other symptoms of kidney problems, such as urinary symptoms, should see a doctor. Kidney pain usually only appears on the same side of the body as the affected kidney.

When an infection or disease affects both kidneys, a person may experience pain on both sides. Shingles is an infection that causes a painful, blistering rash. Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles, though this infection is more common in older people and people with a weakened immune system. Shingles usually begins as a deep burning feeling or prickly pain from the nervous system.

Over several days, a rash of fluid-filled blisters appears. In some people, shingles can be very severe and cause life-threatening infections. People living with HIV , those taking immunosuppressants, and older people should see a doctor immediately if they think that they have shingles.

As shingles usually affects just one side of the body, people will notice symptoms in either the left or right flank but not both. The pancreas and liver sit deep within the abdomen, just under the rib cage. Sometimes, problems with these organs cause flank pain.