Pain on the left under the ribs from behind from the back: causes, symptoms, diseases

Many people often experience periodic or even constant pain in the left hypochondrium from the back. Under no circumstances should it be left without due attention, because such uncomfortable sensations often indicate various serious malfunctions in the functioning of several systems and internal organs of the body. A similar symptom is observed in cases of disturbances in the functioning of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal system, heart and vascular diseases. To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should not delay visiting a doctor, be sure to undergo an examination, find out the cause of the pain and start treatment in a timely manner.

Types of pain

Pain on the left under the ribs can manifest itself in different ways, for example:

Sudden.
Shingles.
Chronic, little noticeable.

Pain that occurs sharply under the left ribs signals an inflammatory process in the duodenum, with a malfunction of the digestive tract. So, with a stomach ulcer, the strength of the pain forces you to bend over, wrapping your arms around your stomach. An ulcer is characterized by symptoms such as bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, hunger, headaches, and irritability. The girdle nature of the pain indicates the probable presence of stones in the bladder, pancreatitis, ectopic pregnancy or ruptured spleen. In such cases, urgent hospitalization is indicated.

Causes of pain in the left hypochondrium

In the upper part of the abdominal cavity on the left, which is limited by the lower ribs, there are several important internal organs:

Intestines.
Left kidney and ureter.
Spleen.
Pancreas.
Left side of the stomach.

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The cause of pain and spasms are all kinds of changes in the functioning of any of the organs mentioned above. Discomfortable sensations appear in the abdomen and back, and can be felt in other parts of the body. The pain syndrome itself is also very diverse: it can be sharp, dull, burning, aching, etc. It can be difficult for the patient himself to clearly understand which specific organ is suffering and how exactly the situation can be corrected.

Therefore, it is impossible to do without qualified assistance from medical workers in this matter. However, it is useful to know some characteristic symptoms of common pathologies so as not to aggravate the problem.

Diarrhea in infants, especially in newborns, always causes concern for mothers. And it is right. Dehydration in babies develops very quickly and can be life-threatening. Read more in the article: “what does diarrhea look like in a baby.”

Treatment methods

Girdle pain under the ribs in front is only a symptom of the underlying disease. The tactics of the therapeutic process are determined depending on the type of pathology that caused discomfort in this part of the body.

Medications

To facilitate the general well-being of the patient, relieve attacks, and prevent further tissue destruction, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, and drugs with analgesic and antispasmodic properties are used.

No-shpa

The drug No-shpa is a potent antispasmodic based on the active substance drotaverine hydrochloride. This drug relaxes muscle tissue, eliminates an attack of acute and aching pain. No-spa is indicated for taking 1 tablet 1 to 4 times a day. The recommended duration of therapy with this medication is 2-3 days. The average cost of an antispasmodic agent is 101 rubles.

Ketorolac

Analgesic drug - Ketorolac is produced on the basis of the chemical substance ketorolac trometamol in a dosage of 10 mg. This remedy relieves pain and also has moderate anti-inflammatory properties.

Ketorolac is indicated for patients undergoing treatment for urolithiasis, cholelithiasis, and intercostal neuralgia. This drug allows you to improve the patient’s quality of life during the period of eliminating the main causes that provoke pain in the subcostal space. Ketorolac is prescribed for intramuscular or intravenous administration in doses of 10-30 mg. The average price of this drug is 81 rubles.

Ceftriaxone

The antibacterial agent Ceftriaxone is a cephalosporin antibiotic. This drug is prescribed to patients who have attacks of girdle pain under the ribs due to infectious and inflammatory diseases of the gallbladder, pancreas and bile ducts.

The dosage regimen for Ceftriaxone involves intramuscular or intravenous administration of this drug, 1-2 g every 24 hours. The average duration of the course of therapy is 14 days. The cost of Ceftriaxone is about 20 rubles. per bottle of powder for injection weighing 1 g.

Augmentin

The drug Augmentin has a combined composition, which includes amoxicillin at a dosage of 250 mg and clavulanic acid at a concentration of 125 mg. This is a medicine belonging to the pharmacological group of semisynthetic penicillins. Augmentin is effective in the treatment of diseases of internal organs that are caused by pathogens sensitive to its constituent components.

For example, in the case of bacterial inflammation of the gallbladder, pancreas and its ducts, the spread of the infectious process inside the abdominal cavity. Adult patients take Augmentin 1 tablet 3 times a day. The duration of treatment is from 5 to 14 days. The average cost of this antibiotic is from 173 to 176 rubles. per pack of 14 tablets.

Diet therapy

During treatment of diseases of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, bile ducts and gastrointestinal tract, which cause attacks of pain in the hypochondrium, it is imperative to follow the following dietary rules:

Eat food often, but in small portions.
Avoid alcoholic and carbonated drinks.
Eliminate fatty, sour, pickled, smoked, coarse and fibrous foods from the diet.
Patients with signs of pancreatitis should refrain from baking and confectionery products, and also adhere to the norms of therapeutic fasting.
Eat lean cereal porridges cooked in water.
Provide the body with a sufficient amount of protein food by including chicken breast, rabbit, and veal meat in your diet.
Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water without gases daily so that harmful biochemical substances that are formed after the breakdown of medications and intracellular metabolism are removed from the body.

For each disease of the digestive and endocrine system, there are individual dietary standards, compliance with which can speed up the patient’s recovery process.

Surgery

Surgery is a radical method of therapy, which is used only in extreme cases when medication treatment does not bring a positive result. Attacks of pain under the ribs can be caused by necrosis of the pancreas, purulent inflammation of the gallbladder and its ducts, splenic infarction, and gastric bleeding.

These are emergency conditions of the human body, the elimination of which is carried out by excision of tissues affected by the infectious-inflammatory process.

In acute pancreatitis, the attending physician decides whether to remove the entire organ or just part of the pancreas. After recovery, the patient is forced to take enzyme medications for life to ensure stable digestion of food. Purulent inflammation of the gallbladder requires complete excision of this organ.

As a result of surgical intervention, bile begins to flow from the liver ducts directly into the duodenum. The biochemical properties of bile secretion deteriorate, but due to timely cholecystectomy, septic blood poisoning is avoided, and the patient returns to his normal life.

Spinal diseases

The main source of pain is still considered to be problems with the spine.

There are such violations as:

osteochondrosis;
spondylosis and spondyloarthrosis;
herniated discs;
scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis.

To understand the cause of pain in the spinal column, you need to know its structure.

All vertebrae are connected to each other by movable joints, in addition, between them there are special shock-absorbing pads - intervertebral discs. The discs consist of an outer annulus fibrosus and an inner nucleus pulposus. It is thanks to the discs that the vertebrae cushion and do not rub against each other.

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Feces (excrement) is a formed mass that is released from the final section of the intestine and contains the remains of an undigested food bolus, bacteria, salts, and toxic waste products of microorganisms inhabiting the intestinal mucous membranes. Read more in the article: “white mucus in the stool of an adult.”

Facet joints are movable joints, thanks to which the vertebrae are mobile and a person can move his body in different directions.

Different parts of the spine are subject to different loads; the lumbar region suffers most often.

Osteochondrosis is a disease during which thinning of the intervertebral discs or their complete abrasion occurs. This condition is more susceptible to older people who have hormonal imbalances, poor circulation, or a lack of nutrients that the disc needs. But the disease is getting younger every year. Due to an unhealthy lifestyle, sedentary work and other factors, osteochondrosis also develops in members of the younger generation.

When the discs become thin, the vertebrae begin to touch each other, causing inflammation over time, which leads to aching, burning pain. If such damage to the vertebrae occurs in the lumbar region or lower part of the thoracic region, then the person experiences pain in the back in the hypochondrium and back.

Spondylosis and spondyloarthrosis are complications of osteochondrosis. The diseases are characterized by the proliferation of bone tissue, which leads to the formation of osteophytes. When the discs wear out, a compensatory function is activated in the body, bone tissue begins to grow, which tries to support the vertebrae. In some cases, osteophytes do not grow much, only forming spines that can pinch the nerve endings of the spinal cord. In other cases, the bone growths grow so large that they are fastened together, forming an immovable brace, due to which the flexibility of the spine in this area is impaired.

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Intervertebral disc herniation. With various injuries or loads in the spine, changes can occur, due to which the fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc first protrudes beyond the vertebrae, and then a hernia can occur - a rupture of the ring with the nucleus pulposus coming out. In this case, the nerve endings are affected, which become irritated, and the person experiences severe pain.

Scoliosis, kyphosis and lordosis are types of curvature of the spine that lead to a change in the normal position of the vertebrae, as well as compression of internal organs, due to which a person may also suffer from vague pain in the left hypochondrium from the back.

The pathological condition is manifested by left-sided pain syndrome from the posterior spinal zone. The pain is burning, acute, aching, and periodically bothers you. Does not last long or torments a person for a long time. The color of the skin in the segment where the nerve is affected changes, this area becomes less sensitive, the person finds it difficult to breathe, and requires hospital treatment.

Increased pain on the side with intercostal neuralgia is observed during physical work, as well as when a person coughs or breathes deeply.

Treatment of pain under the ribs

As a rule, in case of severe pain, the doctor uses various painkillers - they can be taken in the form of tablets or administered parenterally. Unbearable pain, which can also occur with intercostal neuralgia, is relieved by novocaine blockade in the area of compression of the nerve roots.

Each identified pathology has its own specific means for treatment. In vertebrology, chest pain caused by thoracic or cervicothoracic osteochondrosis has its own treatment features:

Drug treatment includes analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, mild diuretics, drugs to improve peripheral circulation, chondroprotectors, vitamin and mineral complexes;
Manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy act directly on the causative factor of the pathology, helping to release muscle-joint blocks, strengthen and develop the muscles around the spine, improve blood supply and trophism of the thoracic spine;
Other types of treatment include prescribing rest during the acute period, a diet with a predominance of proteins, dairy products, vegetables, fruits with the exclusion of grapes, sorrel, coffee, carbonated drinks, sweets, and fatty foods from the diet. In addition, patients can use acupuncture, stone therapy and other methods in complex treatment.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Inflammations, tumors, and ulcers can form in various parts of the intestines or stomach.

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Most common diseases

Name	Description
It is an inflammatory lesion of the mucosa, in which further perforation is possible. Often the patient cannot understand the cause of pain in the left hypochondrium and only with the appearance of intestinal bleeding does he consult a doctor. The ulcer can be primary (in the acute stage) or chronic, constantly recurring. The duodenum is also susceptible to similar inflammation. Pain from an ulcer can be aching, burning, and radiate to different areas of the body, including the back surface of the back and the left hypochondrium. Additional symptoms accompanying it: belching, a feeling of sour or bitter in the mouth, flatulence, bloating. Read also: Pronation of the foot: how to correctly determine and how to choose sneakers Unfavorable factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, stress, and poor diet lead to ulcers. With proper treatment, an ulcer rarely makes itself felt with a few symptoms.
Inflammation of the intestinal walls sometimes leads to the formation of special pockets in the mucous membrane, in which the remains of undigested food accumulate. This leads to the proliferation of bacteria, and over time, suppuration may begin. The disease is dangerous because diverticula can burst, causing peritonitis. Characteristic symptoms of the disease: aching pain in the area under the left rib, problems with bowel movements, fever, nausea.
Bloating due to excessive accumulation of gases in the intestines. The disease is accompanied by an unpleasant feeling of fullness. The pain can be localized in various parts of the intestines. There is an involuntary passage of gas, a feeling of transfusion in the intestines, and a frequent urge to defecate. Flatulence is caused by: poor diet, abuse of certain medications, stress, lack of enzymes.
Inflammation of the colon mucosa due to injury, poor blood supply, atherosclerosis, intestinal infection. Symptoms of the disease: abdominal pain radiating in different directions, diarrhea, intestinal bleeding, pus and mucus in the stool.
Inflammation of the gallbladder, which is often accompanied by the formation of stones in the organ. The disease occurs due to untimely outflow of bile and pancreatic juice, which literally corrode the organ; inflammation can progress against the background of an attached infection. Characteristic signs of the disease: diarrhea, nausea, bloating, fever, chills, tachycardia.
Inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs against the background of impaired outflow of enzymes secreted by it. The condition can occur when the ducts are blocked by sand, stones or tumors. The condition is complicated by the consumption of fatty foods and alcohol, which only increases the amount of pancreatic juice. Painful sensations during pancreatitis are localized in the left or right hypochondrium, belching, vomiting with bile, and bloating occur.

Pain under the ribs on the right

To suggest the causes of pain in this part of the chest, you need to know what is located on the right under the ribs.

Pain on the right under the rib can be caused by various factors - from infection to physical overload or systemic pathologies.

The main causes of pain on the right under the ribs:

viral infections, lung diseases, pleurisy; Algia with this pathology is aching, intensifies with a sharp movement of the chest;
gastritis, inflammation of the stomach walls provoke acute pain in the abdomen and torso on the right;
diseases of the gallbladder and biliary system also cause a pain response in the right side of the body; pain intensifies after eating fatty foods;
back pain on the right under the ribs accompanies most diseases of the spinal column - scoliosis, spondylosis, intervertebral hernia; episodic pain in this area often occurs due to prolonged forced positioning or incorrect posture; muscles and nerve endings are compressed by bone structures, which is why discomfort occurs;
if something seems to be interfering with the right under the ribs, then intercostal neuralgia can be assumed; inflammation of the nerves is characterized by a dull, aching pain that compresses organs and limits movement in the ribs;
intestinal diseases are accompanied by pain on the right side, caused by irritation of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract;
pain under the ribs on the right with inflammation of the liver and hepatitis;
injuries to the cervical spine, fractures, bruises of the ribs cause severe pain on the right side of the body;
tumors of the breast, lungs, inflammation of the mediastinum can cause pain on the corresponding side of the lesion.

It hurts on the right under the rib and with external influences - stress, physical overload, as a side effect of taking anthocyanins, muscle strain. If pain occurs, you should consult a doctor, since many causes of pathology make diagnosis difficult and only a specialist can say that it hurts on the right side under the ribs.

Kidney diseases

Left side back pain in the lower back can also be caused by a kidney infection called pyelonephritis. In most cases, it is a complication of infectious diseases of the bladder. But sometimes the kidneys become infected bypassing the bladder.

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Pain in left side: kidneys

Kidney stones can also cause excruciating lower back pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin. It is accompanied by a feeling of constant urge to urinate, which is common for those who suffer from this disease, nausea, flatulence and vomiting. As a rule, blood appears in the urine caused by injury to the mucous membrane by a stone moving in the passages of the urinary tract.

Most often, this pathology is accompanied by a dull pain in the left side, which, if a stone blocks the ureter or renal pelvis, can intensify, even to the point of renal colic. Therefore, pain relief in the treatment of kidney stones is a priority. This often requires a combination of anti-inflammatory drugs and narcotic painkillers.

For small stones, the patient is advised to follow a diet and drink a lot of water, which can help them pass out of the kidneys, at the same time preventing the formation of new ones. Large stones do not come out on their own. In this case, medical procedures are aimed at helping them leave the kidneys. A specialist doctor (urologist) will determine the appropriate course of treatment. This may include taking drugs that dissolve stones and removing them through the urethra using sound waves (lithotripsy). In particularly severe cases, open surgery is used.

Possible consequences and complications

Ignoring attacks of girdle pain in the hypochondrium on the front and back sides of the body can lead to aggravation of the pathological process with the possible development of the following complications:

cirrhosis and the development of liver failure, if the cause of the pain syndrome is caused by the pathology of this organ;
diabetes mellitus with pancreatitis;
obstruction of the bile ducts with further disruption of the outflow of bile;
slowing down the process of urine outflow, which is caused by the consequences of urolithiasis;
removal of part or all of the pancreas against the background of total pancreatitis with tissue necrosis of this organ;
opening of a stomach ulcer with the risk of internal bleeding (for example, if attacks of pain under the ribs were associated with a pathological condition of the gastrointestinal tract, and the person did not take any response measures);
the onset of a state of painful shock caused by an attack of acute renal colic;
removal of the gallbladder, the functions of which are blocked by stones;
death due to a heart attack;
excision of the spleen, which provoked prolonged pain caused by infarction of its tissues, destruction by infectious microorganisms or trauma.

To prevent the development of the above complications, it is necessary to promptly seek medical help and undergo a comprehensive examination of the abdominal cavity after the first symptoms of acute or aching pain from the hypochondrium appear.

Girdle pain under the ribs, which is localized in the front or back, is a symptom of one or several diseases of the internal organs. The affected area may contain tissues of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas and gastrointestinal tract.

To determine the reasons that caused discomfort in this part of the body, modern methods of hardware and laboratory diagnostics are used. Treatment of pathological conditions of the abdominal cavity that provoke attacks of pain is carried out using antibiotics, antispasmodics, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Surgical treatment of diseases is aimed at removing the affected tissues of internal organs.

Lung diseases

Lung diseases such as pneumonia, pleurisy, tuberculosis due to inflammation and damage to organ tissue by infections and bacteria cause pain in the front and back of the chest, which radiates to the hypochondrium.

Pathologies of the respiratory organs

If a person has pain closer to the back, in the lumbar region, then he may have pathologies of the respiratory system. He may be sick:

Pleurisy.
Pneumonia.
Pneumothorax.
Cancer of the bronchi and lungs.

With respiratory pathologies, pain may not be severe, but over time its intensity increases. Often the patient complains of pain during movement, wheezing in the lung tissues, cutting pain under the left rib, which intensifies during coughing.

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The pain syndrome may intensify during inspiration; when the patient exhales, the pain decreases. Frequent pain indicates oncological processes with metastases to neighboring organs and tissues, with the formation of large necrotic foci. For pain on the side, impaired respiratory or heart rhythm, the patient requires inpatient treatment

Diagnostics

Girdle pain under the ribs in front and behind is an alarming sign of one or several diseases of the internal organs. The table below presents the main diagnostic methods that are used to determine the causes of this symptom.

Type of examination	Description of the diagnostic technique and average prices
Radiography	An X-ray examination of the patient's digestive system is performed using a contrast agent. This diagnostic method allows you to identify foci of the inflammatory process and foreign tumors in the gastrointestinal tract. The average cost of a stomach x-ray is 4,700 rubles.
Ultrasound	Ultrasound diagnostics is one of the most informative techniques in the process of examining patients with attacks of pain of unknown etiology. To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor performs an ultrasound of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, spleen, determining the focus of the pathological process. The average cost of examination of one organ is 1000 rubles.
CT or MRI	These diagnostic methods display the structure of the examined tissues, record their size, and anatomical location in relation to neighboring organs. Using CT and MRI, you can detect areas of tissue with signs of an inflammatory or oncological process. The price of these diagnostic methods is 6,000 rubles. and 11,000 rub. respectively.
Gastroscopy	Gastroscopy is necessary to examine the mucous membrane and tissues of the stomach, as well as the duodenum. This type of diagnosis is carried out using endoscopic equipment, which is inserted through the patient’s oral cavity and esophagus. The image captured by the video camera of the gastroscopic probe is transmitted to the computer monitor in real time. The average cost of this diagnostic method is 2,400 rubles.
Capillary blood analysis	Performing a capillary blood test allows the doctor to confirm or refute the fact of the inflammatory process occurring in the tissues of the patient’s internal organs. The average cost of a laboratory test is 480 rubles.
Venous blood study	Diagnostics of the patient’s venous blood is necessary to determine the possible presence of cancer cells, increasing the concentration of metabolic breakdown products, which may indicate an oncological process and functional disorders of the liver. The cost of this examination is within the range of 800 rubles.
Biochemical urine analysis	A urine test for biochemical indicators reflects the condition of the patient’s kidneys and other organs of the excretory system. The cost of this diagnostic in a private clinic is 450 rubles.

Girdle pain under the ribs
These types of examinations are carried out in public medical institutions or in private clinics. Patients with attacks of acute pain under the ribs in front or behind are diagnosed urgently.

When emergency help is required

An ambulance should be called immediately if a person has: in the back under the ribs on the left:

Suddenly a sharp pain appeared.
There is a dull pain accompanied by hemoptysis.
Watch the video to know how to call an ambulance correctly:
The aching pain becomes more and more intense.
Acute pain does not stop for half an hour and increases when a person changes position.
The child began to feel pain.

For relief, the patient can apply a cold compress to the pain site. Subsequent treatment depends on the underlying disease that caused pain in the back under the ribs. In each situation, therapy is selected individually, taking into account the patient’s well-being and the clinical picture of the disease. The occurrence of pain in the back under the ribs on the left side is a dangerous sign, which often indicates diseases of various vital internal organs or body systems. If you feel pain, you should definitely seek advice from a specialist without self-medicating.

How to determine that pain under the ribs is related to the spine?

Differential diagnostics at the Clinic of Manual Medicine “Galia Ignatieva MD” is used to determine the exact cause and exclude pathologies with a similar nature of symptoms. The specialist examines the medical history, anamnesis, and conducts neurological tests. Acute pain in the left side under the ribs can be caused by pathology of internal organs or musculoskeletal structures. To determine the cause of algia, the following instrumental studies are prescribed:

X-ray allows you to assess the condition of bone structures, identify the consequences of injuries, the presence of pathology of the vertebrae and respiratory system;
Ultrasound, MRI, CT make it possible to visualize the condition of internal organs, soft tissues, and identify neoplasms;
if a cardiac cause of the pathology is suspected, an ECG is prescribed;
intercostal neuralgia is diagnosed using myelography, which allows you to determine the condition of the nerve fibers.

In addition, back pain on the left under the ribs is a consequence of impaired renal function, so extensive urine tests are prescribed to clarify the diagnosis.

Pain in the right side from the back under the ribs, in addition to pathologies of the spine, is caused by diseases of the biliary system. To differentiate them, liver tests are prescribed. If gastrointestinal abnormalities are suspected, gastroscopy is indicated.

If the cause of pain is pathology of the spinal column, then you need to consult an osteopath. A good specialist has a comprehensive effect on the body – the musculoskeletal system and internal organs. Drug treatment is usually symptomatic. Manual therapy affects the cause of the disease and, if treatment is started in a timely manner, is more effective than other conservative methods of therapy.