Left side waist pain

Waist pain in the left side: An introduction

The human body is, unfortunately, susceptible to many diseases and disorders. We're always active, and we can feel different pains in different parts of the body as we exercise, perform chores, or just walk to the bathroom. Sometimes, pain in waist may occur, and this pain, just as others, has various potential causes.

In the left side of the waist there are many organs or parts of organs. Any injury or disease of these organs can lead to the appearance of pain in this region.

The left ovary and fallopian tube in women, as well as the lower part of the left kidney, part of the large bowel, sigmoid colon, a part of the urinary bladder, and left ureter are located on the left side of the waist. When any of these organs are affected by a disease process or injury, pain is bound to occur in the left side of the lower abdomen. The pain that appears may vary in intensity, which depends on the cause that is responsible for the occurrence of this condition, and it could be pounding, stabbing, sharp, dull, or spread out. 

Causes of waist pain in the left side

One of the most common causes for the incidence of pain on the left side of the waist is a minor injury — which could be caused when someone falls or has an accident, for example. A pulled muscle, which can occur when someone lifts heavy things, twists awkwardly, or overexerts themselves during physical activity, for instance, is another common cause of left-sided waist pain.

However, there are also other and more serious or chronic medical conditions that usually lead to the appearance of sharp pain that can be felt in the left side of the waist. These conditions are kidney diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis and an ovarian cyst, as well as pregnancy, gastritis, a urinary tract infection, ulcer, pancreatitis and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Two most common kidney diseases are kidney stones, which are crystal formation of excess uric acid or calcium and a bacterial kidney infection that starts in the urethra and reaches the kidneys. These two disorders can cause sharp pain in the lower abdomen that tends to spread to the back.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that manifests itself through the constant alternation of constipation and diarrhea, which may cause pain in either the left or right side of the waist. Diverticulitis is a medical term for the inflamed diverticula of the colon. One of the symptoms of this condition is the pain that occurs in the left side of the lower abdomen.

A benign tumor that forms in the ovary in the form of fluid-filled sac is called an ovarian cyst. When a woman suffers from this disorder, she may experience pain in the waist along with many other symptoms that are characteristic for this condition, such as abdominal cramping. The pain in the left side of the waist, as well pain in the back are very common in pregnant woman because of the pressure that the body weight makes on the waist region.

Because pain in the left side of your waist can have so many possible causes, it is important to see a doctor unless you are sure of the cause and know that it isn't serious — like, for instance, if you are aware that you pulled a muscle while practicing yoga a little too vigorously. Any ongoing pain, especially pain bad enough to keep you from your normal activities, warrants a visit to your physician.