Many adults experience back pain on a somewhat frequent basis. While back pain can be triggered by a number of stimuli, there seems to be a connection between stomach and back pain, especially when abdominal bloating is involved. But why does this connection exist? Again, there are multiple reasons, but each one demonstrates just how interconnected the stomach and spine truly are.
Back Pain and Abdominal Bloating
A number of possible reasons exist for the co-occurrence of spinal pain and abdominal bloating. Bloating can occur for a number of reasons, ranging from very benign causes like overeating or eating fatty foods to more serious concerns like autoimmune disorders and cancer.
As far as foods go, there are quite a few different types of food that cause bloating, which can trigger pain in stomach and back. Foods rich in oligosaccharides (such as lentils and beans) can cause abdominal bloating, as can strawberries, apricots, prunes, Brussel sprouts, dairy products, sweeteners, and whole grains. When these foods cause fiber to get backed up in the digestive system, bloating and constipation can occur, making it crucial that you drink plenty of liquids to keep the fiber moving.
What If It’s Something Serious?
Generally, simultaneous occurrences of stomach and back pain are relatively non-threatening and can be naturally remediated at home. However, there are some causes for concern, especially if the pain recurs often or simply does not subside. Some additional symptoms might indicate something more serious is going on.
Bloating, constipation, and spinal pain can indicate the presence of autoimmune disorders, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Celiac’s Disease, and Sjogren’s Syndrome. Those with different types of neuropathy (which is a co-morbidity with many autoimmune disorders) sometimes report having these symptoms.
On a somewhat more rare occasion, spinal pain that leads into stomach pain can be an indicator of certain types of cancer. Women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer often report feeling back and stomach pain as well as experiencing increasingly worse constipation prior to their cancer diagnoses. What Can Be Done to Ease the Pain?
Spinal and abdominal pain can be annoying, if not downright challenging to deal with. There are a few steps you can take to reduce pain in stomach and back areas. One of the most vital steps you can take is to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water will get the built-up fiber moving through your digestive system. This is especially important for people with disorders like Sjogren’s who experience chronic dryness throughout their bodies.
Additionally, you might need to change some of your eating habits and even be tested for food allergies. Those who are lactose intolerant struggle with back and stomach pain and have found that eliminating dairy eases some of this pain.
Finally, if symptoms persist, you should contact your doctor and discuss your concerns. Even though it can feel embarrassing, admitting that you are in pain is the first step to alleviating it. Call Texas Spine Clinic today to help relieve your pain.
Some patients tend to undermine their abdominal pain only as indigestion, cramps, or gas that will resolve shortly. Stomach pain can be a pretty common symptom despite being highly inconvenient. But this pain can also be a sign of an underlying symptom that you should immediately address, especially when it's coupled with back pain.
So why do you experience upper stomach and back pain together? Upper abdominal pain with back pain may be caused by underlying conditions, like thoracic radiculopathy, appendicitis, kidney stones, pancreatitis, and peptic ulcer disease. Some cases of abdominal pain can be trivial, but you might want to seek emergency care if you feel severe pain that reaches your back.
Why You Experience Stomach Pain
Stomach pain is often trivial, which could be immediately patched up by medications, hydration, and a day's rest. But if your upper abdominal pain radiates to your back, or if you already suffer from severe stomach pain, you might need urgent care from a medical professional. It might be a symptom of a serious stomach problem needing surgery before it develops into complications.
Your acute abdominal pain might have different reasons according to the types of abnormalities in your stomach:
- Visceral pain - this refers to pain from activated pain receptors in your abdomen due to a damaged internal organ or tissue, often not localized and vague. This type of pain is similar to when you're having irritable bowel syndrome, bladder pain, and others.
- Somatic pain - this refers to pain from activated pain receptors in your tissues, like muscles, skin, joints, connective tissues, and skeleton, triggered by stimuli, such as temperature, vibration, force, and swelling. This localized pain feels like stomach cramps. Somatic abdominal pain is usually a response to inflammation at the parietal peritoneum.
- Referred pain - this type of pain isn't localized and is thought of as distant from the source because your spinal nerves are converging.
You may experience upper stomach and back pain together due to some conditions that trigger the types of pain mentioned above. The common causes of the severe pain you experience might be life-threatening, needing immediate medical attention.
Possible Reasons for Upper Stomach and Back Pain
Upper stomach pain that reaches your back is a common cause of various serious stomach diseases of the digestive tract, kidneys, and other internal organs. You might want to seek urgent care to avoid serious complications. Some of the diseases that may possibly cause your acute abdominal pain are kidney stone, pancreatitis, gallstones, peptic ulcer disease, and thoracic radiculopathy.
1) Kidney Stones
Having kidney stones might cause lower abdominal pain that travels upwards to your upper stomach and back. This pain is caused by the crystallization in your kidneys that obstruct urine flow. There's a possible chance that your condition is due to having a kidney stone if you also have these symptoms:
- frequent peeing
- burning sensation when urinating
- urinating in small amounts
- blood in urine
- cloudy or foul-smelling urine
- sand in urine
- fever and chills
If your kidney stone isn't too serious yet, it might just pass in your urine eventually. But stones that stay in your kidneys might cause a kidney infection. Your doctor might recommend several non-surgical and surgical solutions to remove these stones.
2) Pancreatitis
Severe stomach pain may also be a common symptom of disorders in nearby internal organs, like the pancreas – this is a large gland in your abdomen that produces enzymes that help digest the food and convert it into energy. A patient will develop pancreatitis once this organ has become inflamed. They can experience 2 types of this condition: acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis.
Your upper stomach pain with back pain might have a high chance of being a case of pancreatitis if you also experience these symptoms:
- nausea
- fever
- abdominal bloating
- swollen belly
- weight loss
- diarrhea
Your doctor will run laboratory and imaging tests to confirm acute or chronic pancreatitis. Treatment might involve antibiotics, IV fluids, pain relief medications, maintenance supplements, or surgery.
3) Gallstones
Your gallbladder is a small organ under your liver that releases enzymes that aid digestion. Gallstones form from the byproducts of the red blood cells, bilirubin, and cholesterol. These stones tend to block the bile duct, which results in abdominal and back pain. Other symptoms of this condition include:
- upset stomach
- vomiting
- heartburn
- indigestion
- In severe cases, a patient might also experience
- chronic abdominal pain
- biliary colic
- light-colored feces
- dark-colored urine
- jaundice
- fever
- chills
Like kidney stones, less serious gallstones are usually excreted by the body or can be dissolved with medications. Bigger gallstones often require surgery to be removed.
4) Peptic Ulcer Disease
Peptic ulcer disease is also a common cause of chronic abdominal pain -- this condition involves having open sores on your stomach lining and upper part of your small intestines. These wounds are caused by your stomach acid stripping off the protective mucus layer of your digestive tract. That's why if you experience acid reflux or GERD, you might want to address those right away.
This condition is often accompanied by symptoms, like:
- lower abdominal pain
- abdominal bloating
- weight loss
- mild to moderate chest pain
- lack of appetite
- dark or blood in feces
- burping
Your peptic ulcers can resolve on their own, but they would need several medications to avoid progressing into serious complications. Your doctor might prescribe antibiotics, pain relief medications, and antacids to regulate your stomach acid and acid reflux.
5) Thoracic Radiculopathy
Your upper abdominal pain with back pain may sometimes not be a problem for your stomach or digestive tract. It may also be caused by a nerve root in your thoracic spine that becomes compressed. This results in sharp pain and numbness in different parts of the body, including the upper back.
For this condition, you might want to look out for other symptoms:
- sharp pain in the limbs and back
- weakness
- loss of reflexes
- numbness of the skin
When to Call a Doctor
Upper stomach pain may become trivial for some because patients react to pain differently -- they may think it's just their acid reflux acting up or another upset stomach. But if you already experience debilitating severe stomach pain, you might want to seek urgent care. Seek immediate medical attention to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment if you experience these symptoms:
- nausea worsening over time
- pain in the upper right area of the abdomen
- severe and unbearable stomach pain
- severe pain after meals or following a routine
- back pain that reaches the groin
Consult your doctor once you experience these symptoms. Some tests that will be run in order to assess what your body is telling you and arrive at a sound diagnosis and ultimately, a personalized treatment plan.
Consult Our Specialists for Your Upper Stomach and Back Pain at Gramercy Pain Center
Experiencing acute abdominal pain that reaches your back is a common symptom of many back and stomach problems. Because of this, you need to seek medical attention from a trusted provider that will thoroughly assess your condition and arrive at an accurate diagnosis and customized treatment plan.
Gramercy Pain Center has been a trusted pain clinic by many patients who have witnessed their dedication to bringing pain relief under the care of board-certified physicians and highly-trained staff. You can get started with your road to recovery from experiencing upper stomach and back pain together by booking a consultation with us. You may also get a quote on our website by filling out a form.