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EspañolWhat causes lower left back pain? Related conditions and treatments
Overview: What does lower left back pain feel like?
Like most back pain, pain in the lower left back is most commonly caused by muscle strain. Sometimes, however, it may be related to problems with the spine or the internal organs in the abdomen, such as the kidney, pancreas, colon, or uterus.
When muscle strain or muscle cramping causes lower back pain, it typically feels like a dull or aching pain that quickly worsens when moving or twisting the back. Getting up out of a chair or bed can provoke a sharp pain that will make you wince or groan. In addition to pain, the back will be stiff. It’s harder to move, limiting the range of motion that people are used to.
When pain is due to a spinal problem, that pain is usually located in the middle of the back, but it can radiate to one side of the back. Other symptoms include tingling, numbness, leg pain, hip pain, or back stiffness.
Organ problems are more complex in their presentation. Pain in one area, like the upper abdomen or the side of the body, may spread to other areas, like the lower left back. Abdominal organ dysfunction or disorders usually have other symptoms besides pain, including urination issues, nausea, vomiting, fever, or weight loss, depending on the underlying cause.
Key takeaways:
Lower left back pain is a common symptom caused by muscle strain, spine problems, problems with internal organs in the abdomen, or chronic pain conditions.
Typically, lower left back pain does not require immediate medical attention unless there’s severe pain or severe symptoms, such as a high fever.
Lower left back pain generally requires a medical evaluation, but treatment may be limited to at-home treatment. Muscle strains typically resolve without treatment in 10–14 days, but other conditions that cause back pain may be longer-lasting or lifelong.
Treatments of lower left back pain vary by cause. Read more about treatments for lower back pain, degenerative disc disease, kidney infections, kidney stones, endometriosis, and pancreatitis.
Lower left back pain can be managed with rest, ice, heat, massages, and over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers.
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What causes lower left back pain?
Lower back pain, or “lumbar pain,” usually means that you’ve pulled, strained, sprained, or overused a muscle in your back. However, the pain could be a sign of a more serious condition involving the spine, joints, or abdominal organs.
Muscle strain
Like any other muscle in the body, back muscles can be overused or used too carelessly, causing a muscle sprain or pulled muscle. Muscle strain in the lower back typically feels like a dull pain that gets markedly worse with minor movements, especially getting up from a chair or bed. Other symptoms include stiffness, decreased range of motion, muscle spasms, and inability to maintain normal posture. Common causes of lower back muscle strain include:
Heavy lifting
Improper lifting
Exercise
Twisting
Poor posture
Back injury
Injury or arthritis involving the back, which causes back muscles to overcompensate
RELATED: Lower back pain treatments and medications
Spinal problems
Injuries or disorders of the spine usually cause pain in the center of the back, but that pain can radiate to the right or left side. Additional symptoms might include tingling or numbness, pain that affects an entire leg (sciatica), pelvic pain, or stiffness. Common causes of spinal pain include:
Slipped disc
Spondylolisthesis (slippage of the bones in the spine)
Bone spurs
Spinal stenosis (nerve compression at the spinal cord)
Joint disorders, such as the joint that connects the spine to the pelvis (the sacroiliac joint)
Internal organ problems
Internal organs in the abdominal cavity could cause pain that feels located in the lower left back. In many cases, the pain will start somewhere in the abdomen and radiate to the lower left back. These include:
All of these causes usually have other symptoms. The most apparent accompanying symptom is pain somewhere in the abdomen or flank. Other possible symptoms include urination problems, dark urine, blood in the urine, fever, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.
Chronic pain syndromes
Another possible cause of lower left back pain is chronic pain syndromes, such as:
Myofascial pain syndrome
Fibromyalgia will have additional symptoms, including pain in other parts of the body and fatigue.
Myofascial pain syndrome is due to an injury of a muscle, muscle ligaments, or other soft tissues in the muscles. The tissues are permanently damaged, causing chronic or recurring muscle pain.
RELATED: Fibromyalgia symptoms: What are the early signs of fibromyalgia?
Should I be worried about lower left back pain?
Low back pain due to a muscle sprain or strain is common and will improve in a week or more. However, see a healthcare professional if back pain lasts longer than two weeks. You should see a healthcare professional if you have other symptoms, such as urination problems, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or a fever. The pain may be due to a problem unrelated to back muscles. Untreated spine or internal organ disorders can result in serious or lifelong complications.
If the pain is severe or if there are serious symptoms associated with the pain, such as a high fever, then get emergency medical care.
How is the cause of lower left back pain diagnosed?
Patients presenting with lower left back pain probably have muscle strain, but they could have other, more serious problems. A healthcare provider will start the diagnosis by reviewing symptoms, taking a medical history, and examining the affected area. If the signs point to a muscle strain, then that’s usually enough to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
If pain has lasted longer than six weeks and rest and physical therapy haven’t worked, the clinician may order an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI to determine if there are bone, disc, joint, or nerve root problems with the spine.
The symptoms and history may point to a problem with the kidneys, pancreas, colon, or uterus. Diagnosing these problems will require further workup and tests. The clinician may refer the case to an orthopedist, gastroenterologist, urologist, or gynecologist.
For suspected abdominal organ disorders, tests might include:
Blood tests
Urine tests
Urine cultures
Stool tests
CT scan
Ultrasound
Endoscopic exam
Biopsy
How long does lower left back pain last?
If lower left back pain is caused by a muscle strain, the pain should go away in 10 to 14 days. If it lasts longer or doesn’t get better, the pain may be due to another problem. Healthcare providers will look for other causes if back pain lasts six weeks or longer without improvement.
Back pain due to a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, or problems with the bones or joints in the back may not get better until the underlying issues are successfully treated. Some conditions, such as ulcerative colitis and endometriosis, may be long-term or lifelong disorders.
Chronic pain disorders, such as fibromyalgia, are usually lifelong disorders. Though incurable, symptoms can be managed.
How to stop lower left back pain
Lower left back pain treatments depend on the underlying cause. The standard treatment options for pain caused by a muscle strain involve rest, massages, OTC pain relievers, ice, and possibly physical therapy. If low back pain is particularly hard to bear, a healthcare professional may prescribe a muscle relaxant to reduce muscle cramping and spasms.
Treatments for spine problems will vary. Some conditions can only be treated with symptom relief, braces, and physical therapy, while others may be treatable with surgery. Pain management usually involves nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, corticosteroids, opioids, and physical therapy.
Treatments for disorders of the abdominal organs depend on the underlying cause. Some conditions, like a small kidney stone, may only require symptomatic treatment. Others might require prescription medications or surgery.
Chronic pain disorders are not curable, but pain can be managed with pain relievers, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines, as well as physical therapy, exercise, and self-care.
RELATED: Your guide to fighting lower back pain while working at home
Living with lower left back pain
Living with lower left back pain requires taking daily measures to manage or reduce the pain. Many home remedies can provide rapid relief, while others are longer-term solutions:
Start with OTC painkillers, but use them conservatively
Try to move around, stretch, or walk—get medical advice from your healthcare provider or physical therapist first
Practice any physical therapy exercises or movements at home if instructed to do so
Maintain proper posture if possible
Try using anti-inflammatory herbal remedies or adopt an anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce swelling in the back, spine, or joints
Most importantly, use common sense and see a healthcare professional
Lower back pain is usually self-diagnosed. It’s often easy to identify the pain, location, and cause, such as, “My back hurts because I fell off of a ladder.” Unfortunately, self-diagnosis isn’t always a good idea. A proper evaluation by a healthcare professional can help rule out other possible conditions before they get worse. What’s the best advice? Use your common sense. If there’s a possibility of a more serious injury (“I fell off of a ladder”), it makes sense to have your back looked at by a healthcare provider. If the pain doesn’t go away or gets worse, make sure to see a healthcare provider. In other words, if you have a reason to worry that something besides a pulled muscle is the culprit, then it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare provider.
What’s next? Additional resources for people with lower left back pain
Test and diagnostics
4 reasons you may only have back pain on only one side, Penn Medicine (2020)
Low back strain and sprain, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)