Wednesday 7 January 2015

What Causes Lower Left Side Abdominal and Back Pain?

What Causes Lower Left Side Abdominal and Back Pain?
Numerous conditions can cause lower left side abdominal pain and back pain. Photo Credit pain ii image by Mykola Velychko from Fotolia.com
Numerous conditions can cause lower left side abdominal pain and back pain. According to the Merck Manuals website, abdominal pain that manifests in your abdomen's left lower quadrant may be caused by abdominal organs or problems in your abdominal wall. In some cases, pain that originates in your abdomen or pelvis can be referred or sent to other parts of your body, including your back. Your lower back is a particularly common location for referred abdominal pain.

Anatomy

Your abdomen is the area on the front side of your body, between your lower rib cage and your hips or pelvis. The left lower abdomen is the area from your belly button to your pelvis. Your left lower abdominal quadrant is composed of various tissues, including muscle, fat and connective tissue. The terminal end of your large intestine, including your sigmoid colon and your rectum, are also located within this quadrant. Certain reproductive organs, including your ovaries, if you are female, are located just below your left lower abdominal quadrant.

Causes

Numerous causes of left lower abdominal pain can send pain to your back, especially your lower back. According to the Wrong Diagnosis website, pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic abscesses, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, dysmenorrhea or menstrual cramps, kidney stones, shingles and ovarian cancer can all cause simultaneous left lower abdominal pain and lower back pain. Although it's usually located closer to the mid-line of your abdomen, an abdominal aortic aneurysm---a ballooning or dilation of the abdominal aorta, one of the body's largest blood vessels---can also cause simultaneous lower abdominal and lower back pain.

Symptoms

Symptoms associated with left lower abdominal pain and back pain depend on the cause of the pain and the type of tissue affected. However, possible signs and symptoms associated with simultaneous left lower quadrant abdominal pain and lower back pain include sharp, stabbing, aching or burning pain in the abdomen, dull and aching pain in the lower back, abdominal tenderness, nausea, vomiting, pain when urinating, unexplained weight loss, a rash of fluid-filled blisters that wraps around your flank on one side of your body and diarrhea or constipation.

Treatment

Treatment for left lower abdominal pain and back pain depends on the cause of the pain. In some cases, simultaneous pain in these areas self-resolves or goes away on its own after a few hours or a few days. In other cases, however, pain in your abdomen and back may be severe, causing you to seek medical attention and intervention. If the cause of your pain or discomfort originates within your abdomen, a qualified health care professional will run a battery of tests to determine what treatment is appropriate for your condition.

Warning

In some cases, more than one condition may be causing the pain and discomfort you are feeling in your left lower abdomen and back. The Merck Manuals website also states that abdominal pain that is acute---i.e., it comes on suddenly, without warning---and severe usually indicates some sort of intra-abdominal disease that may require immediate medical attention and intervention, such as surgery. A rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which causes lower abdominal and lower back pain, decreased blood pressure, dizziness and shock, is a life-threatening emergency that must be treated immediately.

By Martin Hughes
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