Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Pain on the left side of the back at kidney level.

September 23, 2011 | 50,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Hello,

My suffering has been going on for quite some time, but has now become acute! I have pain on the left side of my back. It feels like a pulling sensation from the lower left ribcage, through the flank, up to the shoulder. I especially feel pain when turning to the left. I do not feel any pain when lying down or when I am not moving. Previous examinations:

Primary care physician: Ultrasound of spleen, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas all came back normal. Blood results were also optimal. Referral to radiologist: Chest X-ray also normal. New referral for X-ray of the cervical spine and left shoulder.

Left shoulder: No findings. Cervical spine findings: No evidence of paraarticular calcifications in the left shoulder joint suggestive of periarthritis humeroscapularis. Significant misalignment of the cervical spine. Loss of lordosis. Posterior bending at C4/5.

I saw an orthopedist who practices osteopathy and he mentioned that it could be related to the stomach/small intestine or diaphragm. Now I am scared that I may have a serious illness causing these severe pains.

Perhaps you have an idea of what else I could do, as I am only 25 years old and I take painkillers every day just to be somewhat pain-free. Honestly, they don't even help, I don't feel like the pain is getting better. Thank you very much. Best regards.

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Hello,

Thank you for describing the medical history and previous findings. One investigation I would recommend is a radiological imaging of the thoracic spine (TWS) if not already done.
I hope you were also manually examined by the orthopedist on your entire back? Were there really no muscle tensions or misalignments/blockages of the vertebrae detected there? (it is often more difficult to feel in the TWS than in the cervical spine)
Based on your description and the tests that have been carried out, I would assume that you do not have to worry about serious internal diseases. I would suggest seeing a colleague with a specialization in chiropractic, and checking again if a "musculoskeletal pain syndrome" with or without vertebral blockage could be the cause of your complaints. The fact that pain medication does not help you at all suggests that a vertebral blockage may be the cause, which can also be located below the cervical spine and radiate upwards.
I hope you find a good chiropractor nearby who can identify and resolve the cause of your pain.

Best regards, Dr. R. Berg