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Right back pain
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025

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Back pain on the right is one of the most common symptoms. It is observed in a wide variety of ailments, so the key to its favorable treatment with a successful result is an accurate diagnosis. A thorough examination, as a rule, provides an excellent opportunity to find out the cause of back pain on the right.
Diseases that cause pain in the back on the right
Back pain on the right side is a symptom of various diseases of internal organs and systems.
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Diseases of the respiratory system:
- "dry" pleurisy, which is accompanied by a sensation of cutting pain in the left or right part of the chest, appearing during breathing movements;
- unexpected pneumothorax with spontaneous acute pain arising in the chest, which may radiate to the scapula. Characteristic signs of the disease: decreased excursion of the sternum on the affected side, inability to detect noises during auscultation;
- pneumonia, which is accompanied by intense or moderate pain in the left or right part of the chest or in the shoulder blade. The pain can become stronger when coughing and taking a deep breath, fever, coughing and wheezing in the lungs are also observed during auscultation;
- cancer of the bronchi or lungs. The degree of intensity, properties and pattern of pain syndrome are directly dependent on its location and prevalence - if the upper part of the lung is affected, then there is Pencoast syndrome (the so-called brachial plexopathy), in which pain is felt in the shoulder area, scapula, on the medial surface of the arm, if the pleura begins to grow, pain sensations appear in the chest on the affected side, which significantly increases during breathing, coughing, body movements, if the intercostal nerve is involved, the pain becomes encircling.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:
- acute form of cholecystitis. The pain can last for several hours, sometimes for several days. As a rule, it spreads to the right hypochondrium and epigastrium. In addition, the pain can radiate to the right side of the sternum, the right shoulder, the shoulder girdle, the scapula, and the heart area. The pain syndrome is accompanied by nausea, fever, vomiting, yellowing of the skin, as well as pain when palpating the right hypochondrium, tension in the abdominal muscles;
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Diseases of the urinary system:
- the presence of blood clots in the renal artery and renal colic;
- retroperitoneal hematoma. The main symptom is spontaneous pain of unknown origin in the lower back in a patient who has previously received anticoagulant therapy.
Diseases of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and spinal cord
The pain is often shooting and projective. In other words, its pattern is limited to the boundaries of the cutaneous representation of the affected root or nerve. It often spreads distally.
If you have discovered pain in your back on the right, it would be advisable to see a doctor immediately. It is highly undesirable to delay this, since only a timely visit to a medical institution and a correct diagnosis is the key to successful treatment and a guarantee that you will be able to get rid of the pain in your back on the right that is bothering you. So, you should seek advice from the following specialists: gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist, traumatologist, orthopedist, chiropractor, therapist, family doctor, cardiologist, pulmonologist, urologist, nephrologist, gynecologist (for women), proctologist, surgeon. If the pain is acute, you need to call an ambulance, whose doctors will provide you with qualified assistance and recommend which specialist you need to contact.