Upper Back Pain During Pregnancy: Causes & Relief

Question
hi! im on my 7th week of pregnancy and im having backache on the upper left of my back (across the spleen). i already used medicated patch (salonpas) but the pain keeps coming back. im worried that it might affect my pregnancy or it could be something on kidney. wish you could help me with this. thank you.  

Answer
Dear Cielo,

First, according to their website, you should check with your doctor before using Salonpas during pregnancy, so I'll assume you have done that and it has been ok'd by him/her. If not, I would try using periodic heat to relieve the pain first. If that does not help, try ice for 20 minute periods.

Back pain can and does happen during pregnancy, however it is usually a low center pain, not a one-sided pain. However, in this forum with such limited information, it is difficult to know whether this is due to a muscle strain or is kidney pain. Do you have any other kidney or urinary symptoms - cloudy or very concentrated urine, blood-tinged urine, urgency or frequency of urination, pain or burning with urination? Are you extremely active or exercise regularly? Did you begin to notice pain after any particular activity? How long has it lasted? How long is it relieved for before returning? ETC,...

My suggestion is to talk to your doctor about this at your prenatal visit so that he/she can assess you, determine a cause, and treat it appropriately.

I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda