Kidney Health 8 min read·Updated 22 July 2026 Clinician-reviewed

Kidney Pain Location: Where Are Your Kidneys & What Causes Pain?

A UK Consultant Nephrologist on where kidney pain is felt, how to tell it apart from common back pain, and the conditions that cause it.

  • Clinically Reviewed
  • NHS & NICE Aligned
  • UK Evidence-Based
  • Last Reviewed 22 July 2026

Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf

Consultant Nephrologist & Acute Physician

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Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf

MD, MSc, PgDip (Clin Ed), FRCP, FHEA, FASN

Consultant Nephrologist & Acute Physician · GMC 7216325

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Direct answer

Kidney pain is felt in the loin (flank) — between the lower ribs and the hip, either side of the spine. The most common causes are kidney stones and urinary infections. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) itself is almost always painless. Pain with fever, blood in urine, or vomiting needs urgent care.

Key recommendation: Kidneys sit under the lower ribs, either side of the spine.

Quick answer

✓ Best choices

  • Vegetables, lower-potassium fruit and whole grains
  • Sensible portions of fish, eggs, chicken or tofu
  • Olive oil and unsalted nuts in small amounts

✓ Foods to limit

  • Added salt and ultra-processed foods
  • Phosphate additives in processed meats and ready meals
  • Sugary and energy drinks

Key takeaway

Kidney pain is felt in the loin (flank) — between the lower ribs and the hip, either side of the spine. The most common causes are kidney stones and urinary infections. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) itself is almost always painless. Pain with fever, blood in urine, or vomiting needs urgent care.

Who should be cautious

People on dialysis, post-transplant, pregnant or breastfeeding, or taking prescription medication — confirm with your renal team before changes.

Kidney Pain Location: Where Are Your Kidneys & What Causes Pain?

Anatomy in plain English

The kidneys are paired, fist-sized organs sitting in the retroperitoneum — at the back of the abdomen, behind the gut, tucked under the lower ribs (T12–L3). The right kidney is pushed slightly lower by the liver. Each kidney drains into a ureter, which carries urine to the bladder. Pain anywhere along this tract — kidney, ureter, bladder — can feel like 'kidney pain'.

Kidney pain vs back pain — the key differences

Kidney pain: deep, higher up (under the ribs), one-sided, may radiate to the groin, often associated with urinary symptoms. Muscular back pain: lower, central or both sides, worse with bending or twisting, eases with rest and stretching, no urinary symptoms. If paracetamol and rest improve it within 24–48 hours and there are no urinary changes, it is rarely the kidney.

Kidney Vitality is a daily multivitamin developed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist using renal nutrition principles. It contains no added potassium, magnesium, phosphorus or iron, and no herbal blends. See the formulation.

Common causes

  • Kidney stones: severe colicky pain, may radiate from loin to groin, often with nausea.
  • Pyelonephritis (kidney infection): loin pain, fever, shivers, burning urination.
  • Ureteric obstruction: from a stone, blood clot or stricture — back-pressure on the kidney.
  • Polycystic kidney disease (PKD): dull, chronic flank discomfort.
  • Kidney cysts: usually painless unless large, bleeding or infected.
  • Trauma: any blunt loin injury — needs imaging.

When to seek urgent help

Go to A&E or call 111 for: high fever (> 38°C) with loin pain, visible blood in urine, vomiting that prevents fluids, severe pain not controlled by paracetamol, or inability to pass urine. These can indicate infected kidney stones, sepsis or obstruction — all needing same-day care.

10 Early Signs of Kidney Problems
Related reading: 10 Early Signs of Kidney Problems.

Key practical tips

Designed for quick scanning — what to order, what to avoid, sensible portions, common mistakes.

  • Cook from scratch when you can
  • Read sodium labels (≤ 0.3 g per 100 g is low)
  • Take any concerns to your GP or renal team early

Clinical guidance

TL;DR summary

Kidney pain is felt in the loin (flank) — between the lower ribs and the hip, either side of the spine. The most common causes are kidney stones and urinary infections. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) itself is almost always painless. Pain with fever, blood in urine, or vomiting needs urgent care.

Key takeaways
  • Kidneys sit under the lower ribs, either side of the spine.
  • Pain is felt in the loin / flank, not the lower back.
  • Most common causes: stones and UTIs.
  • CKD itself does NOT typically cause pain.
  • Pain + fever or blood in urine = urgent care.
Kidney Diet & Nutrition Considerations

Diet is one of the most powerful tools you have to look after your kidneys. UK renal guidance points to a Mediterranean-style, reduced-salt pattern: plenty of vegetables, lower-potassium fruit, whole grains, sensible protein, beans and pulses in moderation, oily fish and olive oil. Personal targets — for potassium, phosphate, protein and fluid — should be set by your renal team based on your bloods.

Foods to prioritise

  • Vegetables, lower-potassium fruit and whole grains
  • Sensible portions of fish, eggs, chicken or tofu
  • Olive oil and unsalted nuts in small amounts

Foods to limit

  • Added salt and ultra-processed foods
  • Phosphate additives in processed meats and ready meals
  • Sugary and energy drinks

Potassium, phosphate and protein needs vary between individuals — please confirm personal targets with your renal team or dietitian. Browse the Kidney Diet Hub for more guides in this cluster.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly are the kidneys located?

The kidneys sit at the back of the abdomen, just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. They are roughly fist-sized. The right kidney sits slightly lower than the left because of the liver. Kidney pain is usually felt in the loin (flank) — the area between the lower ribs and the hip, on either side of the spine.

How do I tell kidney pain from back pain?

Kidney pain is usually higher (under the rib cage), on one side, and often described as a deep ache or sharp colicky pain that may radiate into the groin. Muscular back pain is usually lower, central, worse with movement, and improves with rest. Kidney pain often comes with urinary symptoms (burning, blood, frequency) or fever.

What are the most common causes of kidney pain?

Kidney stones, urinary tract infections (UTIs) reaching the kidney (pyelonephritis), and a blocked ureter are the most common causes. Less common: kidney cysts, polycystic kidney disease, kidney injury and (rarely) tumours. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) itself is usually painless.

When is kidney pain an emergency?

Seek urgent care (A&E or 111) if loin pain comes with: high fever or shivers, blood in urine, vomiting, inability to pass urine, or severe pain not relieved by paracetamol. These can signal infected kidney stones or sepsis.

What foods are good for kidney health?

A Mediterranean-style, mostly plant-based, reduced-salt diet is the most consistent evidence-based pattern for kidney health. Build meals around vegetables, lower-potassium fruit, whole grains, fish, eggs or tofu, beans and pulses in moderation, and olive oil.

Nutritional challenges in kidney disease

Many people living with kidney disease have to limit foods because of potassium, phosphate, diabetes, dialysis, appetite changes or simply the time it takes to cook from scratch every day. That can make it harder to keep daily nutrition balanced — particularly for vitamins and minerals that food alone may not fully cover.

Kidney Vitality is a UK-formulated daily nutritional support product designed by Consultant Nephrologist Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf with renal nutrition in mind from the start. It keeps doses moderate, leaves out added potassium, phosphate and magnesium, and avoids megadose vitamin A — sitting alongside a kidney-friendly diet, not replacing it.

Why Kidney Vitality fits this need

Built around UK renal guidance

Aligned with NICE NG118 (renal & ureteric stones), NICE NG109 (UTI) and NHS pathways.

Designed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist

Formulated and reviewed by Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf (GMC 7216325).

Evidence-based by design

Plain-English explanations, NHS-aligned safety-netting, no diagnosis from a webpage.

Designed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist

Ready to support your kidney health?

If you have been researching kidney health, supplements, CKD nutrition or kidney-friendly living, Kidney Vitality was developed specifically around those principles by Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf (GMC 7216325). Nephrologist Developed Daily Multivitamin.

  • No Added Potassium
  • No Added Magnesium
  • No Added Phosphorus
  • No Added Iron
  • One capsule daily
  • UK GMP — BRCGS, NSF GMP, Halal
Subscribe & Save — £20.39/monthCheck your current multivitamin

✓ Free UK tracked delivery  ·  ✓ Delivered every 30 days  ·  ✓ Pause or cancel anytime  ·  ✓ Never run out

ComparisonKidney VitalityTypical high-street multivitamin
Added potassiumNoneOften included
Added phosphateNoneOften included (E338–E452)
Vitamin A (retinol)No megadoseOften high-dose retinol
Kidney-focused formulationYesNo — general population
Consultant Nephrologist involvementYes (GMC 7216325)No
UK GMP manufacturedYes (BRCGS, NSF GMP)Varies

Food supplement. Not a medicine and not a treatment for kidney disease. Speak with your GP, pharmacist or renal team before starting any new supplement, especially in advanced CKD, on dialysis, post-transplant, pregnant or breastfeeding.

Clinical reviewer

Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf

Consultant Nephrologist

Acute Physician

GMC 7216325

View Full Biography

Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf is a UK Consultant Nephrologist and Acute Physician with a special interest in chronic kidney disease, AKI prevention and renal nutrition. He combines hospital practice with patient education and clinical guidance review.

View professional profile →
View Credentials
  • MD
  • MSc
  • PgDip (Clin Ed)
  • FRCP
  • FHEA
  • FASN

About this article

Written for UK patients and based on:

  • NICE guidance
  • NHS resources
  • British Dietetic Association guidance
  • Kidney Care UK resources
View methodology

Each article is researched against current UK clinical guidance (NICE NG203, NG118, NG136), NHS patient resources, KDIGO and KDOQI international guidelines, and the British Dietetic Association Renal Nutrition Group. Drafts are written by the Kidney Vitality editorial team and reviewed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist before publication. Content is reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when guidance changes.

Editorial standards

  • Clinically reviewed
  • NHS-aligned
  • NICE-aligned
  • Evidence-based
  • Reviewed before publication
View full editorial process

Every article is researched and written by the Kidney Vitality editorial team using current UK clinical guidance (NICE NG203, NG118, NG136), NHS patient resources, KDIGO/KDOQI international guidelines, and British Dietetic Association renal nutrition guidance. Drafts are reviewed for clinical accuracy by Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf, MD, MSc, PgDip (Clin Ed), FRCP, FHEA, FASN (Consultant Nephrologist & Acute Physician, GMC 7216325) before publication. Content is updated when UK guidance changes.

References (4)View Sources
  1. NICE NG203: Chronic kidney disease — assessment and management
  2. KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD
  3. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in CKD: 2020 Update
  4. British Dietetic Association — Renal Nutrition Group

Medical disclaimer

This content is educational only and does not replace personalised medical advice.

Read full disclaimer

This page is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have chronic kidney disease, are on dialysis, have had a kidney transplant, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take prescription medication, please confirm any supplement with your GP, pharmacist or renal team before starting.

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