Kidney pain is generally felt in the back. The pain is often felt in the upper back. It is not frequently dull or aching, but rather tends to come in waves that are sharp and sometimes severe.

Symptoms such as a dull pain in the middle or lower area of the back may instead be signs of issues related to the muscles, ligaments, disks, or other parts of the body.

Causes

While kidney pain causes may vary from one case to another, some potential underlying medical causes may include the following conditions:

Angiomyolipoma (benign neoplasm)
Blocked urine flow
Kidney bleeding
Kidney infections (pyelonephritis)
Kidney stones
Loss of blood supply to the kidney (blockage of kidney artery)
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis
Renal (kidney) cancer
Renal tuberculosis (TB)
Simple kidney cysts
Urinary tract infections

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of an underlying condition behind kidney pain may be given by a doctor or medical professional. As the conditions are different, separate tests, examinations, and other methods may be used in order to attempt to discover a medical problem.

Treatment

Kidney pain treatment may vary greatly based upon the underlying medical condition that requires treatment.