About 90% of people have lower back pain at some point. The pain can feel different from person to person depending on the cause.
Pain in the lower right side of the back can be due to many conditions that affect different parts of the body.
When lower back pain on the right side stems from musculoskeletal (muscle and spine) problems, you may have issues with any of the following body parts:
Radiculopathy occurs when something presses on a spinal nerve, causing a sharp, burning, shooting pain; numbness; or weakness along the nerve's pathway. It can occur in the neck, upper back, or lower back.
Sciatica is a specific type of radiculopathy that affects the sciatic nerve in the lower back and legs. It causes sharp, burning, or shooting pain down one leg and often worsens when you sit, bend, or lift your legs straight up while lying down. In severe cases of nerve compression in the lower back, you may experience problems with bladder (peeing) or bowel (pooping) control.
While doctors may not always find an underlying cause, sciatica can occur with:
Muscle spasms are involuntary muscle tightening that causes intense discomfort. You can get them from:
Spine curvatures can make standing up straight difficult, causing lower right back pain. Posture changes can come from
In severe cases of ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that affects the spine, the vertebrae fuse, causing a stooped posture.
Conditions related to the kidneys and the appendix can cause pain that radiates to the lower right back. These include:
Problems in the female reproductive organs can cause radiating pain to the lower right back. These conditions include:
During pregnancy, the growing uterus strains the spinal muscles and the sacroiliac joint that connect the lower spine to the pelvis, leading to back discomfort. After childbirth, you may also experience back pain as muscles recover.
Depending on what's causing it, the pain might feel like a dull ache or a sharp, intense pain. It could start suddenly and not go away, worsen slowly over time, or come and go. Moving or sitting may affect how it feels.
Someone with pain in the lower right side of the back may experience radiating pain. Radiating pain is a type of pain that spreads from one area of the body to another.
Some conditions are more commonly tied to certain types of pain. A doctor will consider how you're experiencing the pain when making a diagnosis.
Acute pain is sudden and lasts less than 12 weeks. It can result from sudden injuries or conditions such as:
Chronic right lower back pain often develops gradually and lasts over 12 weeks. It stems from ongoing conditions or injuries that don't heal properly. Examples of conditions that cause it include:
Lower right back pain that does not improve with rest may indicate persistent underlying conditions such as:
Lower right back pain accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness often indicates nerve involvement in the spine or nearby structures. It can make it difficult to walk or stand. Some conditions that may cause this include:
Your doctor will probably ask questions about your medical and family history and do a physical exam to better understand the cause of lower right back pain. They may ask you questions like what the pain feels like, when the pain started, and how long you've had it.
They may also run tests to determine the cause of pain, including:
Once you have a proper diagnosis for your pain, your doctor will create treatment options to help relieve symptoms. Depending on the cause and severity of your lower right back pain, the types of treatment may include:
Lower right back pain can stem from sprains, strains, back conditions, nerve compression, chronic health problems, or issues with internal organs. The pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp pain that may shoot down the leg. See a doctor if the pain in the lower right side of your back is severe, lasts more than a few days, worsens, or disrupts your day-to-day activities.