Back Pain and Abdominal Pain - Polycystic Kidney Disease

PKD patients will suffer from pains and discomforts. The pains in back, abdomen and flank are the most common ones. In most cases patients can have oppressing feelings or dull pains in back and belly. The pain will become worse after physical activities, long time walking or siting and it can be alleviated after bed rest.

The pains are caused by increased intension of the renal capsule or stretching of the blood vessels and nerves of the renal pedicle due to the progressive enlargement of these multiple cysts. The enlarged cysts and kidneys will also oppress surrounding tissues and organs and cause pains and discomforts.

The pains will become more obvious along with age and it is more common in the female. Acute pain or if the pain is sharpened suddenly, it usually indicates cyst rupture and bleeding, kidney stone or urinary tract obstruction due to the blood clots and infections. Large cyst in the liver can also cause pain in the lower right rib.