These 12 causes of right back pain can be triggered

Back pain is a fairly common pain complaint. A person's chances of experiencing back pain may also increase due to age and daily physical activity. However, different locations of the pain have different causes. What about back pain on the right?

Various causes of right back pain

Back pain often makes you uncomfortable during activities. Right back pain can be triggered by a variety of things, but generally stems from muscle or bone problems in the area. Quoted from Penn Medicine, pain can spread from bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, or even be combined.

Back pain like this is usually not serious and can be relieved with the right home care. On the other hand, certain health conditions may cause pain that is quite serious and lasts a long time. Serious back pain may be triggered by problems with internal organs that are far from the site of the pain. If you have this, you need to get proper medical care.

So, how to distinguish which causes of right back pain are still reasonable and which need medical help?

1. Stiff or tense muscles

Muscle pain in the right back area can make you feel dull or achy ache. Muscles in the back area that are tensed for a long time will be pulled and cause pain.

Back muscle pain in most cases can be caused by poor posture when sitting or standing.

For example, maintaining a slouched posture can keep the muscles in your upper body pulled downward because your shoulders are allowed to drop. Meanwhile, the muscles of the back and neck are forced to continuously support the weight of your head when you bend over.

Muscle tension can also be caused by awkward body movements such as wrong pillows while sleeping, or incorrect body movements during exercise; for example the wrong way to lift iron weights or stretch the body excessively.

Apart from activity, certain health problems that attack the muscles and nerves of the neck, shoulder and upper right back can also cause pain. Some of the diseases that cause right back pain are fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and spinal problems such as a pinched nerve.

2. Repetitive movements

If work or daily activities require you to repeat the same movements continuously, this can certainly have an impact on your body condition.

Joints and muscles that are used over and over again to perform the same movement can wear out and stretch, causing pain. For example, if you are required to repeatedly lift things on the same side of your body, your back muscles can tighten.

Right back pain can also be caused by repetitive physical activity on the right hand; for example playing badminton or painting, and working at a computer with the right hand holding the mouse (mouse).

If you don't change your habits or posture, the pain can become chronic back pain.

3. Physical injury

Physical injuries such as falling and slipping on the right side of the back or motor accidents that hit the upper back may be the cause of the pain.

The various injuries that can cause back pain in the upper right are:

• Bone injuries, such as broken ribs, or right-sided spine.
• Injury to muscles, ligaments, cartilages, and other soft tissues in the right side of the neck, right shoulder joints, and upper and middle back.
• There is a wound in the area behind the right above.

If allowed to continue without treatment, right back pain due to injury can progress to chronic pain.

4. Spinal disorders

The normal shape of the spine should be straight downward and slightly curved to aid in body movement.

However, extreme degrees of curvature or unusual displacement can cause spinal abnormalities. If the normal curvature of the back becomes larger or smaller, it can cause right back pain, stiffness, and a change in gait.

Deformities in the spine itself can include scoliosis, kyphosis, or lordosis. Scoliosis, for example, is a deformity of the spine that curves sideways and forms an S or C shape. Adults with scoliosis tend to experience chronic right-sided back pain.

Meanwhile, kyphosis is a curvature of the upper vertebrae of more than 50 degrees that makes the posture slouch. Kyphosis occurs most often in women who are elderly. This problem is closely related to age and osteoporosis.

5. Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a problem with bone loss that progresses slowly with age. In old age, bones no longer form the same composition and tissue as they used to to produce new structures.

At first, the symptoms of bone loss are quite difficult to recognize because there are no clear physical characteristics.

However, over time osteoporosis causes a bent posture and triggers back pain that radiates to the neck. The pain in the right back can be very severe, although in others the pain is less stabbing.

6. Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a joint inflammation that causes your cartilage and bones to gradually break down. Inflammation of the joints in the spine area can trigger pain in the right upper back, which radiates to the neck, hands, and shoulders.

In addition, various other symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

• The joint hurts during or after moving it.
• The joint feels softer when applied pressure.
• The joints feel stiff in the morning when you wake up, and when you are not actively doing activities.
• Inflammation of the joints.
• Joints lose their flexibility properties, which make them stiffer and difficult to move.
• The appearance of bone spurs around the target joint, which is a sharp, hard bony protrusion.

If osteoarthritis is left untreated, the pain can become stronger and more intense.

7. Lung problems

Various problems with the right lung can cause pain in the chest, which radiates to the back.

Some lung diseases whose symptoms can contribute to pain in the right back are pneumonia, pleurisy (pleurisy), and pleural effusion (wet lung). Right back pain may also be caused by a lung that has been punctured during an injury.

If your right upper back pain is accompanied by sudden chest pain when you take a deep breath, this may be a sign of a pulmonary embolism. If the pain gets worse and makes you run out of breath, coughs up blood, or feels weak, call your doctor right away.

Right upper back pain can also be a symptom of lung cancer. Symptoms of back pain associated with lung cancer may show certain signs, such as:

• The pain gets worse at night
• Pain appears without activity
• Pain is felt when lying in bed
• Pain occurs when you take deep breaths

8. Indigestion

Although it seems unrelated, indigestion can be the cause of upper right back pain.

Inflammation of the gallbladder, for example, can cause pain that is quite severe under the right rib and extending down the right back to the right shoulder blade. This condition is also usually accompanied by nausea, skin discoloration, and loss of appetite

In addition, problems with the liver, stomach organs, and intestines can cause pain which also affects the upper back.

If the right upper back pain persists for a long time and gets worse, consult a doctor immediately to find out the cause.

9. Costochondritis

One of the main causes of back pain is a condition called costochondritis (costochondritis).

Costochondritis is inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. This inflammation can make you feel pain that moves from your chest to your right back.

Here are various other symptoms that you will experience if you have costochondritis, namely:

• Pain that attacks the left side of the sternum.
• The pain was sharp and stabbing like being pressed.
• The pain gets worse when you take a deep breath or cough.
• Pain occurs in more than one rib

10. Stress

It turns out, stress and anxiety that are allowed to drag on can also be the cause of right back pain.

This is because your body is fighting these feelings and your muscles are tense, resulting in pain in your upper back.

When you are stressed, you can also feel other things such as a faster heart rate, headaches, and a rise in stomach acid.

11. Spinal infections

Infection of the spine can cause right upper back pain. Infections that occur in the spinal column can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and also fungi. However, this case is very rare. The infection does not only affect the spine, but also the bone marrow and bone discs.

You can experience this if your immune system is weak or as a result of the procedure after surgery.

Other symptoms that can be felt are numbness, fever, or tingling sensation.

12. Other causes of right back pain

Apart from the causes mentioned above, right back pain can also occur due to other things, such as:

• Kidney infection or kidney stones
• Tear of the esophagus
• Infection in the ovary area
• Spinal cancer

Complementary symptoms of right back pain that must be watched out for

Judging from the various possible causes above, right back pain can indicate a serious health problem

Therefore, be aware of the various signs and symptoms of right back pain that indicate a serious condition such as the following:

1. Fever

In certain cases, severe back pain with fever, numbness or tingling in the arm can result from a spinal infection.

Some of the risk factors that trigger these symptoms are if you are immunosuppressed, have cancer or diabetes, or are obese.

2. Weakened legs

If you have right back pain with numbness or weakness in your legs and arms, this may be a symptom of neurological injury and arthritis such as osteoarthritis. The pain you feel makes it difficult for sufferers to move.

3. The pain increases with movement

If you have recently had an injury, such as an accident or a fall from a great height, you could break your rib.

Depending on which part is broken, you may experience upper right back pain.

The pain is usually moderate to severe, but gets worse as you move. Get your condition checked by a doctor immediately, especially after a severe injury.

4. The pain gets worse at night

Right back pain that gets worse at night can be affected by a tumor in the back area, or a tumor that has spread (metastasized) to the bones around the back.

In addition, you may also need to see a doctor immediately if back pain doesn't respond to physical therapy or other medical treatment, and causes you to:

• Hard to breathe
• Pain travels from your chest to your back
• Pain when taking deep breaths
• Accompanied by persistent cough, shortness of breath, sudden weight loss, fatigue, or coughing up blood.

How to deal with and prevent right back pain

Not all causes of right back pain can be completely prevented. However, most cases of right back pain can be managed with medical treatment that is tailored to the underlying cause.

However, at least you can do some fairly easy treatments as reported in Medical News Today below:

• Stretch a little if you sit too long.
• Stretch your muscles to warm up.
• Avoid using heavy bags on the right side only.
• Maintain correct posture when standing, walking, running, and sitting.
• Resting the side of the right hand.
• Compress using a cold or warm towel so that blood circulation returns smoothly.