Frequent Urination & Lower Back Pain: Causes & What to Do

Key takeaways:

• They may seem unrelated, but these two symptoms can occur together due to several conditions.
• Experiencing frequent urination and low back pain is rarely an emergency, but almost always requires medical intervention.
• Additional symptoms can help your doctor identify the specific cause.

Experiencing both lower back pain and frequent urination together can be extremely uncomfortable and lead you to question whether the two are related. These two symptoms are often unrelated, but both symptoms appearing simultaneously can be linked to infections, kidney problems, or spinal cord disorders. In this article, we will explore the causes of lower back pain and frequent urination, discuss strategies for at-home relief, and help you understand when it is important to see a doctor.

Are lower back pain and frequent urination related?

Lower back pain and frequent urination may seem like separate issues, but they can be connected through a variety of medical conditions. In some cases, a problem with the urinary tract, musculoskeletal system, or reproductive organs can cause discomfort in the lower back as well as frequent urination.

Symptoms associated with lower back pain and frequent urination

If you are experiencing lower back pain and frequent urination, you should pay close attention to any other symptoms that may be occurring simultaneously. The addition of other symptoms can give clues as to the underlying cause.

Burning with urination

A burning sensation when urinating, also referred to as dysuria, often indicates a urinary tract infection (UTI) or bladder infection. If you have a significant infection, you will likely notice a burning sensation every time you urinate.

Nausea and vomiting

If you are experiencing nausea and vomiting in addition to back pain and urinary frequency, you should turn your attention to the kidneys. When bladder infections are left untreated, they can work their way to the kidneys and cause an infection known as pyelonephritis. Back pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever are common symptoms of this infection. Nausea, vomiting, and back pain with urinary frequency may also be due to kidney stones. Kidney stones are less likely to cause fevers and the symptoms typically come in waves.

Difficulty emptying the bladder

If you feel like you cannot fully empty your bladder when urinating, this could be a sign of an obstructed urinary tract due to a kidney stone. This may also be due to a urinary tract infection as many patients report feeling a frequent urge to urinate with the inability to fully clear their bladder. In severe cases, this may be a sign of a spinal cord injury that affects the bladder and bladder function. Men with enlarged prostates may also notice difficulty fully emptying the bladder alongside urinary frequency but are less likely to experience accompanying back pain.

Urinary urgency

Feeling the urgent need to urinate frequently, often with little urine output, can be a sign of a UTI. Urinary urgency may also be associated with prostate or kidney problems in men, or pelvic conditions in women.

Causes of lower back pain and frequent urination

As reviewed above, these symptoms are typically linked to the bladder, the kidneys, or the nerves in the spine. We will review some of the most common causes of these symptoms below.

Urinary tract infection

A urinary tract infection is one of the most common causes of frequent urination and lower back pain. UTIs can cause inflammation and discomfort in the bladder, leading to urgency and a frequent need to urinate as well as referred back pain or cramping.

Kidney stones

Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form in the kidneys. Kidney stones can be caused by infection, medications, diet, dehydration, and underlying disease processes, but some individuals are just prone to developing kidney stones for no particular reason. Kidney stones tend to sit in the kidneys but they can move and can travel down the urinary tract. If a kidney stone is large or causing a blockage somewhere, this movement can result in severe lower back pain and frequent urination as the body tries to pass the stone. The pain is often sharp and intermittent.

Pyelonephritis

Pyelonephritis is a type of urinary infection that affects the kidneys. It occurs when bacteria that originate from a bladder infection travel up the urinary tract and infect the kidneys. This condition can cause symptoms consistent with a urinary tract infection such as urinary frequency, urgency, an low back pain in addition to more severe symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and fever. This type of infection requires urgent treatment.

Spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injuries and disorders can affect the nerves that control both the bladder and the muscles of the lower back. These disorders can lead to a range of symptoms including muscle weakness, bladder dysfunction, and pain in the lower back.

Considerations based on the pain’s location or another symptom, condition, or situation

If you experience these two symptoms together, the location of the back pain can give more specific clues as to the underlying cause.

Left side lower back pain and frequent urination

Left-sided lower back pain combined with frequent urination can be caused by issues in the left kidney, such as kidney stones or infection.

Right side lower back pain and frequent urination

Right-sided lower back pain with frequent urination can indicate problems in the right kidney, such as a kidney infection or kidney stone. A less likely scenario to consider would be an inflammation or infection of the appendix, although the pain would present more typically in the right lower abdomen.

Lower back pain and frequent urination in females

Urinary tract infections, kidney infections, and kidney stones should always be the main diagnoses to consider with these symptoms. However female-specific causes of these symptoms also include pregnancy and pelvic organ prolapse.

Lower back pain and frequent urination in males

In men, prostate issues (such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis) are common causes of both lower back pain and frequent urination.

How to get relief from lower back pain and frequent urination at home

If you are dealing with mild symptoms, there are a few home treatments that may provide relief.

OTC medications

Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help with mild to moderate pain. There are also over-the-counter medications used to help with urinary discomfort specific to urinary tract infections.

Hydration

Drinking plenty of fluids can help flush out bacteria in the urinary tract and ease the feeling of urinary urgency. However, hydration alone will not treat a bacterial infection and should be used as a supportive care measure in addition to antibiotic medications.

Heat

Applying a warm compress or heating pad to the lower back can help alleviate muscle tension and reduce pain.

When to see a doctor about lower back pain and frequent urination

Most cases of lower back pain with frequent urination prompt a visit with your healthcare provider.

You should see a doctor if:

• You experience blood in your urine or a burning sensation while urinating.
• You have a fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting.
• You have a history of kidney stones or recurrent urinary tract infections.

You should go to the emergency room if:

• You experience a complete inability to urinate or empty the bladder.
• You experience a sudden loss of bladder control.
• You experience associated nausea, vomiting, confucius, or tenderness to the abdomen.

Questions to ask your doctor about lower back pain and frequent urination

• What could be the cause of my symptoms?
• Is it normal to experience back pain and frequent urination together?
• What tests are needed to diagnose the cause of my symptoms?
• Do I need an antibiotic for my symptoms?

How a doctor can help treat lower back pain and frequent urination

You can use home remedies for supportive relief of symptoms, but most cases of lower back pain and frequent urination require medical intervention.

Medication

If you are diagnosed with a bacterial urinary infection or kidney infection, antibiotics are necessary to get better. In some cases of severe kidney infections, IV antibiotics are needed. If your symptoms are due to kidney stones, your healthcare provider may give you pain medication for relief.

Surgical intervention

In some cases, kidney stones are so large that they are not able to pass through the urinary tract on their own. There are several different procedural options that exist to remove or break up the kidney stone depending on the size. Other conditions such as an enlarged prostate or a spinal cord injury may also require some type of surgical intervention.

Frequently asked questions: lower back pain and frequent urination

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions related to lower back pain and frequent urination.

What if you’re experiencing lower back pain and frequent urination during a pregnancy?

During pregnancy, hormonal changes and the growing uterus can put pressure on the bladder and spine and lead to frequent urination and lower back pain. However, you should still see your doctor to rule out an infection that can have a harmful impact on both the mother and the baby if left untreated.

What if you only experience lower back pain and frequent urination at night?

If you are experiencing lower back pain and frequent urination together at night, urinary tract infection, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and pregnancy are all possible causes.

Conclusion

Lower back pain and frequent urination are common symptoms, and when experienced together they can point to a range of possible medical conditions. While many causes are easily treatable in an outpatient setting, it is important to identify when these symptoms are signs of something more serious. If you are experiencing these symptoms together for more than 24 hours or have any additional symptoms, you should see your doctor right away.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Lane Thaut, DO.

Sources

Belyayeva, Mariya, et al. “Acute Pyelonephritis.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 28 February 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30137822/

Bono, Michael J., et al. “Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 13 November 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29261874/.

Ng, Michael, et al. “Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 20 October 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32644346/

Nojaba, Leila. and Nilmarie Guzman. “Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones) (Archived).” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 8 August 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32644653/

Taweel, Waleed Al, and Raouf Seyam. “Neurogenic bladder in spinal cord injury patients.” Research and reports in urology vol. 7 85-99. 10 Jun. 2015, doi:10.2147/RRU.S29644 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4467746/