Mar. 7, 2025

UTI & Lower Back Pain: How to Get Relief

Sean Dupont, MD

Doctor

UTI & Lower Back Pain: How to Get Relief

40% of women in the United States will experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime. 10% of women get a UTI every year. While less common in men, 12% of men will experience UTI. This is a common problem for patients.

In a UTI, bacteria infect part of the urinary tract. This can be the urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside), the bladder, or the kidneys and ureters. The kidneys make urine and the ureters carry that urine to the bladder.

Symptoms of a UTI include pain or burning while urinating, lower abdominal pain, and sometimes fever. Many times a UTI is limited to the bladder. A urinary tract infection can spread to the kidneys. This is called pyelonephritis.

Can a urinary tract infection (UTI) cause back pain?

In pyelonephritis, the kidneys are inflamed. Because of their location, kidney inflammation frequently causes back pain. This is mostly felt on the side of the affected kidney. Other symptoms of pyelonephritis include painful urination, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

Symptoms associated with UTIs and back pain

If you are currently or have recently been experiencing painful urination, lower abdominal pain, or fevers, you may have a urinary tract infection. Or if you have been diagnosed or treated for a UTI and then experience back pain, these may be related.

How to tell if your back pain is related to a UTI

Back pain associated with a UTI is often located on one side, but it can sometimes affect both sides. It is frequently described as a dull ache.

Other conditions that may cause back pain

Back pain has many causes. We will review some of the most common causes here. This is not a comprehensive list.

Mechanical causes of back pain

A mechanical cause of back pain is related to normal wear and tear of the muscles, joints, and bones in our back. This includes muscle strain/sprain, degeneration of the bones and cartilage in the back, disc herniation, and shifting of the bones in the spinal cord.

Mechanical back pain is responsible for 90% of back pain complaints. The treatment of mechanical back pain varies depending on the exact cause.

Spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis is caused by the narrowing of the spinal canal. This puts pressure on the spinal cord and/or the nerves that leave the spinal cord. Symptoms of spinal stenosis include back pain and leg weakness or numbness. The numbness in the legs usually improves with rest. Treatment of spinal stenosis depends on which part of the spinal canal is affected. It also depends on symptom severity.

Trauma

Trauma to the back is another common cause of back pain. This can be something as mild as a slip and fall at home, or a sports-related injury. Incidents like motor vehicle accidents or assaults can also lead to back-related trauma.

Traumatic injuries to the back range from a muscle sprain/strain to a fractured spinal cord. Symptoms and treatment will depend on the injury's location and severity.

Infection

An infection around the spinal cord will also cause back pain. Risk factors for infection include recent spine surgery, intravenous drug use, or having a suppressed immune system. Other symptoms typically include fever, chills, and redness or tenderness around the spinal cord.

How to get relief from a UTI and back pain at home

If you think you have a UTI, call your doctor. UTIs require treatment with antibiotics to improve. If you have been diagnosed, there are some things you can do at home to help.

Rehydration

One of the most important things you can do is to hydrate yourself. Start by drinking water. If you can tolerate that, move to an oral rehydration solution or low-sugar sports drink. These contain the electrolytes that you need. They can be purchased at a local pharmacy or made at home. If you don’t feel better after 24 hours of rehydrating and monitoring yourself, call your doctor.

Over-the-counter medication

Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen are helpful for back pain. Start with a low dose first. You can always increase it later. A good starting dose for acetaminophen is 325 mg every 6 hours. Take no more than 2000 mg of acetaminophen in 24 hours. For ibuprofen, begin with 200 mg every 6 hours. Do not take more than 2400 mg of Ibuprofen in 24 hours, unless directed by a doctor.

If you have a history of stomach ulcers or kidney problems, avoid ibuprofen. Also, if you are treating a child at home, never give them aspirin. Aspirin is unsafe for children under the age of 16 unless prescribed by a doctor. Aspirin can lead to a deadly condition known as Reye syndrome.

When you should see a doctor for a UTI and back pain

If you think you have a UTI, you should be seen. If you are also having back pain, this is even more important. It may mean the infection has spread to your kidneys.

You should see a doctor if:

You have symptoms of a urinary tract infection.

You should go to the emergency room if:

You have UTI symptoms, back pain, and are running a fever (temperature > 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Your pain is severe.

Questions to ask your doctor about a UTI and back pain

What is causing these symptoms?
Can I do anything at home about the symptoms?
How can I prevent this from happening again?

How a doctor can help treat a UTI and back pain

Testing

Your doctor will probably want to check some lab work. You may need to submit specimens of blood and urine. Your doctor will look for evidence of infection in the urine. They may also send your urine for culture. This allows the exact bacteria causing the infection to be identified. This helps your doctor choose the best antibiotics.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics will be prescribed if your doctor suspects you have a bacterial urinary tract infection. In these cases, it is important to take the antibiotics for exactly as long as prescribed. It is tempting to want to stop early once you feel better. But this allows the more resistant bacteria to reproduce. You may end up getting more sick than you were originally.

If antibiotic pills are not strong enough for your infection, or the bacteria are resistant, you may need different antibiotics. Either different antibiotic pills or even antibiotics by IV can be recommended. IV antibiotics are usually given in the clinic, at an infusion center, or you may require hospitalization.

Pain medication

Your doctor may recommend treatment with pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as discussed above. They also may want to give you something stronger, which requires a prescription.

Frequently asked questions: UTIs and back pain

It is normal to have questions about UTIs and back pain. Please ask your doctor any questions until you understand what is happening.

How long can back pain from a UTI last?

Back pain due to a UTI will be present as long as the kidneys are inflamed. This should start to resolve when treatment begins. Though it may take a few days.

What if you have a UTI and back pain during pregnancy?

Please call your doctor if you are pregnant and have a UTI.

What should older adults consider if they have back pain from a UTI?

They are at risk for a condition known as pyelonephritis. These patients should be seen by a doctor.

Managing a UTI and lower back pain

Back pain as a result of UTI can be due to a condition known as pyelonephritis. If you think you have a UTI and start to experience back pain, please call your doctor.

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. Pallabi Sanyal-Dey, MD.

Sources

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Casiano, Vincent , and Nikhilesh De. “Back Pain.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 11 Dec. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538173/.

Raja, Avais, et al. “Spinal Stenosis.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 19 Dec. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441989/.

‌El Sayed, Moustafa, and Avery L. Callahan. “Mechanical Back Strain.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542314/.

‌Whitney, Eric, and Anthony J. Alastra. “Vertebral Fracture.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 3 Apr. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547673/.

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