Where Do You Feel Lung Pain in Your Back? Causes & Getting Relief

Key takeaways:

• You may experience back pain from conditions that affect your lungs.
• You may have accompanying symptoms of rib pain, shortness of breath, or other changes in your breathing.
• Other associated symptoms may suggest a more serious cause of your back and lung pain.

Your back contains numerous structures, including bones, discs between each vertebra, and muscles. Back pain may be a sign of an issue with one or more of these structures. In other cases, back pain could be due to a problem with one or more of your bodily organs, including your lungs.

Numbness, rib pain, shortness of breath, or other changes in your breathing in conjunction with back pain are common indications of lung issues. So, not only is it possible to experience lung pain in your back, but it’s worth paying attention to. Below, we’ll discuss some common causes of lung pain in the back and ways to address your symptoms.

Can lung pain cause back pain?

Lung pain can occasionally cause back pain. Fluid accumulation or other changes in the spaces between the lungs and nearby structures, for instance, can lead to lung and back pain. Inflammation of the nerves surrounding the lungs or conditions affecting the lung tissues can also lead to back pain.

How back pain from lung pain works

Your body has an intricate system of nerves that surrounds the skin, muscles, and organs. The location of your back pain may be related to the irritation of specific nerves, which may, in turn, provide clues to your condition. Your back pain may also be reflective of pain that radiates directly from the lung.

Locations of lung-related back pain

The precise location of back pain can provide clues about whether or not it is related to lung issues.

You typically experience lung-related back pain in the middle or upper part of your back. That’s because the nerves that surround the lungs are in the cervical (upper) and thoracic (middle) spine.

Other nerves near the lungs and diaphragm are located in the cervical spine. Meanwhile, nerves that surround the ribs and nearby structures are located in the thoracic spine.

Duration of lung-related back pain

The duration of your symptoms will vary depending on the condition causing them. The onset of your symptoms can also help a healthcare provider understand and diagnose the underlying condition.

The severity and presence of associated symptoms can provide additional information regarding the underlying cause of your symptoms. Some causes can resolve within a few days and only require at-home care, while others can require long-term rehabilitation and treatment.

Symptoms associated with lung-related back pain

Lung-related back pain can occur with additional symptoms. Back pain in the upper or middle back may suggest inflammation of the lungs, although if you are only experiencing back pain, this is less likely. Below are some other symptoms that you may be experiencing with your lung and back pain.

Cough, shortness of breath, or wheezing

With any condition that affects your lungs or the airways, you may experience associated symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, or other changes in your breathing. These symptoms may suggest inflammation or other conditions that affect your lungs.

The duration and onset of these associated symptoms can help a healthcare provider identify whether there is an acute or chronic process that is causing your symptoms. You may experience a dry cough or productive cough with sputum or even bloody sputum.

Numbness, weakness, or tingling

You may experience numbness, weakness, or tingling if there are conditions causing inflammation or other changes to the nerves around the lungs.

Nasal congestion, runny nose, allergy-like symptoms

You may experience nasal congestion, a runny nose, or other allergy symptoms along with back pain. Other symptoms may include redness of the eyes, dryness or itchiness of the eyes, rashes on the skin, or generalized itchiness or hives. These signs are typically associated with a viral infection that can cause lung-related back pain.

Systemic symptoms

You may also experience generalized symptoms with your lung-related back pain. These include fever, fatigue, and generalized muscle aches. You may notice increased irritability and changes in sleep due to pain. These symptoms may reflect pneumonia or some other infection.

Considerations based on the location of lung-related back pain

Lung-related back pain localized to a specific region or side may provide additional information about the cause of your symptoms.

Lung pain on the right side of your back

Lung-related right-sided back pain may suggest a condition that is primarily affecting the right lung itself, but it may also suggest a condition that is affecting the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. These organs sit underneath the diaphragm below the right lung, so you would typically experience lower right-sided back pain.

Lung pain on the left side of your back

You may experience lung-related left-sided back pain if something is only affecting the left lung. However, the surrounding structures on the left side of your body include your heart, stomach, and spleen.

Like the organs in the abdomen on your right side, the back pain caused by conditions affecting these organs is typically lower than back pain caused by the left lung alone.

Upper back pain from shingles

Shingles is an infection caused by the re-activation of the herpes zoster infection. It presents with a rash, and you might experience pain in your back. Shingles can cause upper back pain and lung pain.

How to get at-home relief from lung-related back pain

You may be able to get relief at home, depending on the underlying condition causing your symptoms. If you notice that your symptoms worsen despite some of the treatment options listed below, speak with your primary care provider.

Pain medications

Over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen may improve or relieve your symptoms. If you take these medications around the clock with limited improvement, speak with your primary care provider.

You can also consider using topical medications such as a Lidocaine patch, Bengay, or other muscle-relaxing creams.

Humidifiers, cough suppressants, decongestant medications

If you notice that your symptoms are particularly worse when you are congested or coughing, humidifiers, cough suppressants, and other decongestant medications can help loosen and reduce the amount of mucus or phlegm.

Lifestyle changes

As with any conditions that affect the lungs, symptoms may improve if you stop smoking. If you notice your lung-related back pain is worse in a specific position, you can try stretching or avoiding that particular position. If your symptoms are worse on one side, try lying down on the other side. Raise your head slightly if your symptoms are worse when lying completely flat.

When to see a doctor about lung-related back pain

It is important to know when to see a doctor about lung-related back pain. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below, contact your primary care provider for further evaluation.

You should see a doctor if:

Check with a healthcare provider if you:

• Have back pain that lasts more than a week despite at-home treatment.
• Experience fatigue or intermittent shortness of breath with daily activities.
• Have a fever (temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Have worsening pain with a cough.
• Are unable to lie flat.

You should go to the emergency room if:

Seek immediate medical attention if you:

• Experience chest pain or are unable to catch your breath at rest.
• Experience numbness or tingling in your arms or legs.
• Lose control of your bladder or bowel.
• Experience unintentional weight loss.
• Cough up blood.
• Faint or lose consciousness.

Questions to ask your doctor about lung-related back pain

• Do I need a chest X-ray, CT, ultrasound, or MRI?
• Can I do anything at home to improve my symptoms?
• Could medications or other medical problems be causing my symptoms?
• Do you need a referral to a lung specialist (pulmonologist)?

How a doctor can help treat lung-related back pain

A doctor can help identify the underlying cause of your lung-related back pain. They may prescribe or use some medications and treatments below to help with your symptoms.

Pain control, referrals

If your pain is severe and not improving with over-the-counter options, a doctor may prescribe or recommend stronger pain medications. They can also refer you to other specialists who can help, such as physical therapists or pulmonologists.

Antibiotics

If a bacterial infection is causing your lung-related back pain, a doctor can prescribe antibiotics that will help treat the infection and improve your symptoms.

Chest tubes, oxygen, and other medical management

If you have a pneumothorax, which is a condition where an air leak in the thoracic cavity causes the lung to collapse, you may need a chest tube. You may require supplemental oxygen if your lungs can’t provide you with the oxygen you need. You may even require hospitalization for more serious conditions, such as a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lungs.

Frequently asked questions: lung-related back pain

Below are some frequently asked questions about lung-related back pain.

How can you tell if you’re experiencing back pain or lung pain?

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell whether your symptoms are from the back or lungs. It might be one or the other, or it might even be caused by both lung and back pain. If you are noticing changes in the location or nature of your pain, keep a log of what makes your symptoms better or worse to help a doctor identify the cause of your symptoms.

Is lung pain a sign of lung cancer?

It can be, particularly if you have been experiencing other symptoms with steadily worsening lung-related back pain, such as chronic fevers, fatigue, unintentional weight loss, or coughing up blood. There are many less serious causes of lung pain, however.

Is lung pain a sign of pneumonia?

Lung-related back pain can also be a sign of infection; pneumonia is a common one. With pneumonia, you will likely experience other symptoms, such as fever and cough.

Take a deep breath

Lung-related back pain can be both frustrating and concerning. It can be caused by one of many conditions. If you have been experiencing pain for a long time or have been experiencing worsening pain, speak with your primary care provider for further evaluation.

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

Familydoctor.org. “Shortness of Breath - Causes - Risk Factors | Familydoctor.org.” Familydoctor.org, 10 Oct. 2023, familydoctor.org/condition/shortness-of-breath.

Familydoctor.org. “Pneumonia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment | FamilyDoctor.org.” Familydoctor.org, 22 Nov. 2024, familydoctor.org/condition/pneumonia.

Familydoctor.org. “Shingles - Symptoms and Treatment | Familydoctor.org.” Familydoctor.org, 23 Aug. 2024, familydoctor.org/condition/shingles.