What Causes Lower Back Pain?

Posted on Tue, 10 Feb 2015

Question: Hello, I need a answer please. I had to pick up cheerleading mats and wrestling mats the week ending 2014. I did this about 3 times. I had to lift them from the ground into the back of a box truck. I didn't feel anything right at that moment. About a week later, I felt my lower back start to hurt. The pain would come and go and would be worse sometimes. It felt like when I sat for too long, it would hurt the most and when I stood up and walked around it would somewhat go away. I'm a hypochondriac, and I have a fear of dying. I'm currently on lexapro for it. Because my back was hurting, I automatically thought I had something wrong with my kidneys. I then thought I had a UTI. I waited about another week and I had a little back pain. Mind you it would radiate up the sides of my back. I finally sucked it up and went to the doctor this past Saturday. I had them do a urine sample. The doctor came in and said that everything is normal. I don't have a uti and everything else is negative. The appearance was clear, the color was colorless, the ph level was 6. The specific Gravity was 1.010. The glucose and ketones were negative. The urobilibogen and bilirubin were negative. Blood, protein, nitrite, and leukocytes all came back negative. All of the things mentioned above, if they came back negative does that mean that my bladder and kodneys are functioning normally? I'm really scared I have some type of cancer and that's what the pain in my back is coming from. Mind you I went to get the urine test done at 6 o'clock at night, not first thing in the morning. Could that have an effect on it? It seems like my first Urine in the morning has a strong odor. Could this be bad or is that normal? Also could this be just a very bad back sprain that takes time
To go away and is radiating up my back on the sides of my body? Please help, I don't want to die.

Answered by Dr. Preeti Parakh (19 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Most likely muscle sprain.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Welcome to Healthcare Magic!

Your urine examination report is normal. You also do not have any problems in passing urine. That indicates that you are not suffering from a urinary tract infection. There is also no need to repeat a urine test in the morning.

The strong odor in the first urine of the day is a very common finding and occurs as it is more concentrated. It is not a cause for worry.

Muscle sprain can be a cause of your back ache. Low back pain is very common and in majority of cases, it is usually not clear what is actually causing the pain. In other words, there is no specific problem or disease that can be identified as the cause of the pain. The severity of the pain can vary from mild to severe. I guess you picked up the ache while making some twisting movement or while lifting something. Such non-specific low back ache usually resolves in a few weeks.

Please do not worry about this being some type of cancer. Had it been so, you would have had many other symptoms as well and your doctor would have suspected some serious illness.

I hope this helps allay your anxiety. Please feel free to ask in case you need any clarifications.

Best wishes.

Dr Preeti Parakh
MD Psychiatry

Note: For further queries related to kidney problems and comprehensive renal care, talk to a Nephrologist. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj