Kidney Spasms
Kidney Spasms and What They Could Mean
Kidney spasms cause horrible pain and can be an indicator of many different problems. Kidney stones are painful and cause that spasm like effect, but even if you have had kidney stones before you can’t be too sure that is the only problem.
There are many reasons for getting kidney spasms so be mindful of any other symptoms you might be having that are unfamiliar to you recently. For example, a urinary tract infection if left untreated can travel up through the tract and into the kidneys thus producing a kidney infection. By the time most see their doctor, it is too late and the kidneys are infected thus producing kidney spasms and other pain as well.
Other causes for kidney spasms that you may have not considered before is prostate cancer. Most men generally believe that if they are frequently urinating or feel pressure to go to the restroom often that it is a bladder infection. While that may be true in some cases, there are many other cases in which men have gone to see their primary care physician only to be sent for more testing leading to exam for prostate cancer. Because of where the prostate is located, this can put pressure on the bladder and will lead to spasms that travel from the bladder up the ureter and into the kidney. You can see how important it is that you keep an eye out for other symptoms.
There are additional causes of kidney spasms in women as well, that may start at the bladder initially. Oftentimes women that are fifty or older may experience kidney spasms and believe they have a kidney infection or a kidney stone. What they end up with is quite a surprise. Through the trials of fibroid tumors and other problems, many women opt to have a hysterectomy. With that in mind and having a complete hysterectomy there is no longer anything to keep the organs “bound” so to speak. With having fewer organs in the body that act as a shelf, the bladder may start to drop thus pulling on the kidneys through the ducts. This can cause kidney spasms, but these are generally not as intense as someone would get with stones. Rightfully so, this is a very frustrating thing for most women all because they had to make a decision to have surgery to fix another problem.
Keep in mind that the spasms that you may feel in your kidneys are not always a kidney infection or a kidney stone. If you have recently had a procedure such as lithotripsy, this can leave you with spasms because they use shockwave to break the stones up. The best way to explain the effects is similar to how you feel the day after a long workout when you feel sore. It is just simply a side effect of the shockwaves, and they are pretty powerful when given because they have to break up that stone like material.
Another interesting reason for kidney spasms is endometriosis. Many women have reported that they experience these spasms up until they went to see their doctor, only to find out through laparoscopic surgery that they had endometriosis. The reason doctors believe this happens, is because endometriosis is a condition in which the lining of the uterus may float outside the uterus and attach itself to other organs. Oddly enough, it can travel up to the kidneys. Once that tissue attaches itself, it will cause what feels like kidney spasms. Initially, many women report that they think they have a kidney infection, but it’s always worth seeing your doctor if you aren’t sure.