is low back pain a sign of a liver disease or cancer?
94744
Low back pain could be cancer that has spread, but if it is cancer most likely you have some other symptoms.  The cancers most likely to spread to the spine are prostate cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer.  If the back pain isn't helped by over the counter meds, and stays for more than a few days get it checked out.  My husband had persistent low back pain and it turned out to be prostate cancer that had spread to his spine.  Yours may be nothing serious, but don't ignore it.
154014
It's part of a national campaign to educate women about heart disease. they encourage people to wear red in support. they say back pain can be a symptom of a serious heart problem in women. I'd also check with the American Heart Association.
1093501
Many things can cause low back pain including constipation.  How long have you had this pain?  How long have you been constipated?  For constipation there are many things you can do to improve and or assure that your bowels will work again.  Drinking plenty of water and exercise helps.  Eating enough fiber in your diet such as raw and cooked vegetables and fruits.  Eating whole grain or whole wheat breads and whole wheat crackers.  Try drinking a little apple juice before you go to bed.  If all of these fail to work for you, you then need to make a appointment to see your family doctor.  You may have a underlying physical problem that you are not aware of.\n\nGood luck to you and I hope you feel better real soon!
915841
You might want to check out the symptoms of "costochondritis" -- inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs -- to see if that condition is similar to what you are experiencing.  (see links below)\n\nThe good news is that it's not serious, it usually goes away on its own, and it can be treated with various painkillers.  You might want to try a heating pad, or ice packs, or alternating the two.\n\nJust in case, however, I would recommend a visit to your doctor to confirm.  If it were something more serious, like your liver, gallbladder, or heart trouble, you wouldn't want to miss the early warning signs.
952638
In that area of your body you have your upper intestines, gallbladder, and your liver.  You can also have pain from your kidney.  If you're still hurting after several days and the pain is getting worse you should see your health care provider.  You may have some sort of infection or damage to an organ in that area.  Or it could simply be muscle pain from a strained muscle in that area.  Your doctor or nurse practitioner could best test and determine what's going on.  I would see them though to rule out any sort of infection of one of your major organs.  It's kind of high to be appendicitis but that's possible if it's referred pain.  If you've had fever and nausea/vomiting with it you need to seek help immediately to be evaluated for appendicitis.
283538
Liver disease may not cause any symptoms at first or the symptoms may be vague, like weakness and loss of energy. In acute liver disease, symptoms related to problems handling bilirubin, including jaundice, dark urine, and light stools, along with loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common. Chronic liver disease symptoms may include jaundice, dark urine, abdominal swelling (due to ascites), pruritus (itching), unexplained weight loss or gain, and abdominal pain; these symptoms may not be present until the disease has reached an advanced stage.
429915
is the pain generalized to middle, rt. or lft. how far down. it could b a couple things. rt. side appendix, lft. liver middle might have an ulcer. another factor is age. ask yourself these ?s. \n\ndoes it hurt all the time\n\nmore in a.m. than p.m.\n\ndoes pain go away when u lie down\n\ndoes it act up more after you've eaten\n\nconstant gas\n\ndiarrhea, vomiting or blood in stool\n\nif you answer yes, to more than 2 questions please c a dr.\n\non a scale of 1-10, 10 most severe rate the pain\n\npeptic ulcers or appendicitis r nothing to b casual about, especially if appendix bursts. hope this helps and u feel better.
524300
Could be many things. How low are we speaking? It could be kidneys, gall bladder, pulled muscles, or back pain. Did you do anything to cause the pain, perhaps an injury? If it comes on suddenly and is sharp, I'd go see a doc about it.  Good luck.
358993
You should make an appointment but then go sooner if you develop worsening pain, fever, or develop new symptoms. this still could be a bladder infection but with the lowback pain i would also consider pyelonephritis (kidney infection). there are a variety of other things that could be causing these symptoms but those would be the most common and likely.
245336
If it's been going on that long, what do the doctor's say?\nLow back problems include spondylitis, lumbar stenosis, fractures of the vertebrae, inter-vertebrae disc problems, and possibly something pressing on the spine.\nThere's a mountain of information on any of the internet's quality medical websites like http://www.webmd.com
981455
Problems with the organs in the abdominal region i.e. the digestive system, liver, gall bladder,pancreas, appendix and kidney could be the main reasons for a bad stomach ache. Gastroenteritis can give you a severe stomach ache, while stomach pain from cancer may only be mild. I found a lot of great information on causes of stomach pain and its treatment at http://tinyurl.com/l9k9x
635753
Pain that is caused by another part of your body having a problem that is felt somewhere else.\n\nExample... pain in the back of your leg can actually be orginating from your low back or hip.
1033624
I am in the early stages of cancer, at the last count i had Liver, Lung, Pelvic and Spinal Cancer. 12 months before i found out about this latest bout of this terrible disease i had Bowel Cancer which resulted in the removal of my lower bowel. There really wasn't time for me to have any feelings about the disease or for it to have any effect on my body, as i got rid of it pretty quick. I now have to wear a bag for the rest of my life (which, according to the Doctors, will be around two years). \nIn regards to this latest cancer, as i said, i am in the early stages, but i am noticing that my hair is starting to fall out due to the chemo, but that is all. When people that know me see me in the street, they comment about how well i look, but i am sure that will change as the disease takes control of my immune system and totally runs rampant through my body.
20039
This happens to me, but I have a herniated disc in my lower back.  For those of you with healthy backs, if you are still getting pain get a more comfy chair, get up and move around more often and last but not least sit with good posture!!  Posture will not only make your back feel better but it makes you look more confident and presentable in public.
737858
Low back pain can often be attributed to complex origins and symptoms, and it does not discriminate. It can originate from identified muscle trauma, or an unknown non-traumatic event. Low back pain can also begin in other regions of the body and eventually attack the muscles or other structures in the lower back. Sometimes low back pain can even begin in the nerves or nervous system. Other origins for low back pain are postneural difficulties, congenital disorders, trauma, infections, degenerative disorders, inflammatory diseases, circulatory disorders or any of other 30 additional causes. \n\nIt is often difficult for physicians to pinpoint the exact cause of a patient's low back pain, because of the complex composition of the human spine. Bone, discs, muscles, ligaments, tendons and various other tissues are arranged like a three-dimensional puzzle to make up the spine. The complex make up can easily mask the exact cause of low back pain.\n\nIn addition, depression, anxiety, frustration, reinforcement, stress, anger, fear and many other psychological states can help to cause the onset of back pain, can be a reaction to prolonged pain, or exist concurrently with pain.\n\nThe emotional component can complicate the back pain diagnosis, sometimes resulting in needless surgery and disability and can sometimes mask the underlying physical causes of pain. \n\nThere are two different types of back pain, acute and chronic. Acute pain has a sudden onset and can be caused by trauma, arthritis, fractures, infections around the spine, and internal organ disease and cancer. Chronic back pain lasts for months with no relief and can have a myriad of causes.\n\nThe following are some of the most common causes and diagnoses of back pain:\n\nMechanical Disorders\nMany people who suffer from back problems are experiencing mechanical pain, which means that a specific part of their spine, such as an intervertebral disc, a ligament, or a joint, is damaged and is not working correctly.\n\nDevelopmental Disorders\nDevelopmental disorders of the lower back are caused by abnormalities in the formation and growth of the skeleton. Although the treatment for many of these conditions is conservative, surgery may be required to keep some disorders from worsening, and in order to prevent long-term disability and or deformity.\n\nInflammatory and Infectious Disorders\nInfections of the spinal column are not common, but they are important because they are difficult to diagnose and there are serious consequences in the delay of an accurate diagnosis.\n\nTumors\nCancers and tumors of the spine and spinal cord are relatively rare. The most common symptom that patients with a spinal tumor have is pain. Because back pain is very common, it is also not a specific symptom of any one disease or medical condition.\n\nTrauma\nTrauma to the spine refers to injury that has occurred to bony elements, soft tissues and or neurological structures. The two things that surgeons are most concerned about, in the case of spinal trauma, are instability of the vertebral column and actual or potential neurological injury.\n\n\n\n\nAs you read this please keep in mind that all treatment and outcome results are specific to the individual patient. Results may vary. Complications, such as infection, blood loss, bowel or bladder problems, are some of the potential adverse risks of spinal surgery. Please consult your physician for a complete list of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse events, clinical results, and other important medical information. \n\nThe materials on this Web site are for your general educational information only. Information you read on this Web site cannot replace the relationship that you have with your health care professional. We do not practice medicine or provide medical services or advice as a part of this Web site. You should always talk to your health care professional for diagnosis and treatment.
97805
I agree with the other people who have answered.  Depending on your age there are many problems that could cause lower back pain and the health care system will rule out the most common ones.  Most likely you have one of the common causes of lower back pain.\n\nIf you are an older male (in your fifties, sixties, or older) prostate cancer can cause lower back pain if it has spread to the bones.  However, you would most like have other symptoms.  Also, as you age degenerative disk disease can cause lower back pain.\n\nDon't jump to the conclusion that you must have cancer.  However, don't ignore persistent pain that lingers for days and isn't helped with the usual over the counter pain medication.  \n\nTo more specifically answer your question about how a diagnosis of cancer is made ... there would be blood tests, biopsies, bone scans, MRIs, CT scan, ultrasound, etc.  It usually would require a number of tests.  But unless you have reason to believe you have prostate cancer or bone cancer (when you would most likely have generalised bone pain in a number of areas of your body),most likely your problem is related to a far less serious cause.
72598
Back pain, especially low back pain, is the most common complaint for which physician visits are sought annually in the United States.  The most common cause of back pain is not stress. In fact, stress alone rarely causes back pain; it may, as you mentioned, cause tension (which is just "discomfort" that can be relived with rest and warm showers.\nThe most common causes of low back pain are lumbar stains and sprains, which account for 70% of all low back pain. In lay terms, strain is muscular tear and injury and sprain is ligamentous injury.\n\n(The rest include: "10% of cases are due to age-related degenerative changes in discs and facets, 4% of cases are due to herniated discs, 4% are due to osteoporotic compression fractures, and 3% are due to spinal stenosis. All other causes account for less than 1% of cases.")\n\nRecent studies have shown that bed rest is NOT effective in relieving low back pain and it may even be detrimental as it causes loss of muscle strength in the low back area.  Treatments of choice are multiple and are chosen on a case by case basis.  Physical therapy, pharmacotherapy, range of motion excercises, and surgery in severe cases may be indicated.\nBottom line, you must see a physician and be evaluated as to whether you may benefit from physical therapy.\n\nF. R.\nYear III Doctoral Candidate,\nKeck School of Medicine\nUniversity of Southern California