Flank Pain in Spanish | Say It Right At The Doctor

Side-and-back pain is often called “dolor en el costado” in Spanish, and adding timing plus urine or fever details helps a clinician triage faster.

Flank pain is that ache on the side of your back, between the lower ribs and the top of the hip. In Spanish, most people describe it as dolor en el costado. You may also hear dolor en el lado de la espalda (pain on the side of the back). When the pain sits lower and more centered, some clinics write dolor lumbar (lower back pain).

If you’re trying to explain symptoms in Spanish at a clinic, the goal isn’t fancy language. It’s clarity. Where is the pain? What does it feel like? What else is happening at the same time?

What people mean by flank pain

The “flank” is a zone. It runs along each side of the torso, behind the belly area, from the lower ribs down toward the hip. Many people point to the back corner of the waistline. Others feel it more on the side, near the edge of the rib cage.

Spanish location phrases that usually land well:

• Costado derecho / costado izquierdo (right side / left side)
• Debajo de las costillas (under the ribs)
• Cerca de la cadera (near the hip)
• En la parte de atrás (in the back)

Signs that call for urgent care

Flank pain can be a sore muscle after lifting. It can also pair with symptoms that point to infection, a blocked urinary tract, or bleeding. If any of these show up, get urgent care:

• Fever, shaking chills, or feeling sick to your stomach
• Blood in urine, or urine that turns pink, red, or tea-colored
• Severe pain that keeps climbing, or pain that comes in hard waves
• Fainting, new confusion, or chest pressure
• Pregnancy with flank pain, fever, or urinary symptoms

MedlinePlus notes that flank pain paired with fever, chills, blood in urine, or frequent/urgent urination often points toward a kidney or urinary cause; see the MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia entry on flank pain. If kidney infection is on the table, the NHS kidney infection page lists warning symptoms and when to seek medical help.

How to describe the pain in Spanish

In triage, short lines work. Start with location, then the feel of the pain, then add the extra symptoms.

Location lines

• Me duele aquí. (It hurts here.) + point with one finger.
• Me duele el costado derecho/izquierdo. (My right/left side hurts.)
• Me duele debajo de las costillas. (It hurts under my ribs.)
• Me duele cerca de la cadera. (It hurts near my hip.)

How it feels

• Es un dolor agudo. (Sharp pain.)
• Es un dolor fuerte. (Strong pain.)
• Es un dolor punzante. (Stabbing pain.)
• Es un dolor sordo. (Dull pain.)
• Me arde. (It burns.)
• Viene en oleadas. (It comes in waves.)

If you want a rating, you can say de cero a diez, es un siete (from zero to ten, it’s a seven).

Common causes and the Spanish that fits

Flank pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Still, certain patterns show up often. Matching the pattern to the right Spanish phrases can cut down on confusion.

Kidney stones

Stone pain often starts suddenly and can swing between intense and calmer moments. It may move from the flank down toward the lower belly or groin. Nausea and vomiting can tag along, and blood in urine can appear. NIDDK lists sharp back or side pain among typical symptoms; see NIDDK’s kidney stone symptoms and causes page.

• Creo que tengo una piedra en el riñón. (I think I have a kidney stone.)
• El dolor baja hacia la ingle. (The pain moves down toward the groin.)
• He visto sangre en la orina. (I’ve seen blood in my urine.)

Kidney infection or UTI that reached the kidneys

A kidney infection can bring flank pain plus fever, chills, and urinary symptoms such as burning and urgency. If you had bladder UTI symptoms first and then pain climbed upward, say that clearly.

• Empecé con ardor al orinar. (It started with burning when peeing.)
• Ahora tengo fiebre y dolor en el costado. (Now I have fever and side pain.)
• Tengo ganas de orinar todo el tiempo. (I feel the urge to pee all the time.)

Muscle strain and back irritation

Twisting, lifting, long car rides, or a new workout can irritate muscles along the flank and lower back. This pain often changes with movement or pressure on the area.

• Me duele más cuando me muevo. (It hurts more when I move.)
• Me duele al tocar. (It hurts when touched.)
• Empezó después de levantar peso. (It began after lifting weight.)

Shingles

Shingles can start as burning, tingling, or deep ache on one side, then a blistering rash appears in the same band. If you spot a new rash, lead with that detail.

• Siento ardor en la piel. (I feel burning on my skin.)
• Me salió un sarpullido en este lado. (A rash appeared on this side.)

Flank pain en español with common medical terms

Clinics use a mix of common and medical Spanish. The table below maps terms staff use on forms and notes, so you can match your symptoms to their wording.

English term	Spanish term	When it fits
Flank pain	Dolor en el costado	General side-and-back pain between ribs and hip.
Right flank pain	Dolor en el costado derecho	One-sided pain on the right, near the waist or back.
Left flank pain	Dolor en el costado izquierdo	One-sided pain on the left, near the waist or back.
Lower back pain	Dolor lumbar	Pain centered in the lower back; can overlap with flank pain.
Kidney pain	Dolor en el riñón / dolor renal	Used when kidney causes are suspected; still a symptom label.
Kidney stone	Piedra en el riñón / cálculo renal	Stone pain may come in waves and move toward the groin.
Kidney infection	Infección renal	Often paired with fever, chills, and urinary symptoms.
Blood in urine	Sangre en la orina	Can occur with stones, infection, or other urinary problems.
Burning with urination	Ardor al orinar	Common with urinary tract infection symptoms.
Frequent urination	Orinar con frecuencia	Needing to pee often, sometimes with urgency.

Questions you may hear and how to answer

Staff often ask quick, repeated questions to sort risk. These are common ones, with simple reply patterns.

Timing and pattern

• ¿Cuándo empezó? (When did it start?) → Empezó hace dos días. (It started two days ago.)
• ¿Es constante o viene y se va? (Constant or on and off?) → Viene y se va. (It comes and goes.)
• ¿Le duele al moverse? (Does it hurt with movement?) → Sí, más al doblarme. (Yes, more when I bend.)

Urine and fever

• ¿Le arde al orinar? (Burning?) → Sí.
• ¿Orina con frecuencia? (Often?) → Sí, y con urgencia. (Yes, and urgently.)
• ¿Ha tenido fiebre? (Fever?) → Sí, 38°C.

Tests that may come next

Many clinics start with a urine sample (muestra de orina). They may also order blood tests (análisis de sangre) or imaging like ultrasonido (ultrasound) or tomografía (CT scan).

If you want a plain-language overview of common causes and typical care steps, the Cleveland Clinic flank pain page summarizes what clinicians check for. For another patient-friendly hub on stone symptoms and treatment options, MedlinePlus kidney stones gathers vetted resources.

Phrases for triage and the exam room

Use the table below as a quick pick-list. These lines are short, clear, and easy to say when you’re hurting.

Situation	Spanish phrase	Plain English meaning
One-sided pain	Me duele el costado derecho/izquierdo.	My right/left flank hurts.
Sudden start	Empezó de repente.	It started suddenly.
Waves	Viene en oleadas.	It comes in waves.
Burning when peeing	Siento ardor al orinar.	It burns when I pee.
Blood in urine	He visto sangre en la orina.	I’ve seen blood in my urine.
Fever and chills	Tengo fiebre y escalofríos.	I have fever and chills.
Nausea or vomiting	Tengo náuseas / he vomitado.	I feel nauseated / I’ve vomited.
Pain moves downward	El dolor baja hacia la ingle.	The pain moves toward the groin.
Pregnancy	Estoy embarazada.	I’m pregnant.

Small details that help clinicians act faster

If you’re not sure what’s causing the pain, you can still give details that guide the next step. These usually matter in flank pain visits:

• Timing:Empezó hoy (started today), hace dos días (two days ago), me despertó (it woke me up).
• Movement:Me duele más al moverme (worse with movement) often fits muscle strain.
• Urine changes: burning, urgency, blood, or a new strong smell can point toward urinary causes.
• Radiation:Se corre hacia la ingle (it runs toward the groin) can fit a stone pattern.
• Fever: state a number if you have one, like 38°C.

Pronunciation and typing tips

Two words are worth getting close, since they can sound similar if you’re nervous.

• Riñón (kidney) has the “ñ” sound, like “ny” in “canyon.”
• Infección (infection) stresses the last syllable: in-fek-SYON.

If accents are hard to type on a phone, don’t sweat it. Most staff can read “rinon” as “riñón” from context.

Simple lines for pain relief questions

If you need to ask about pain relief while waiting for results, these phrases are clear and polite:

• ¿Qué puedo tomar para el dolor? (What can I take for the pain?)
• ¿Puedo tomar acetaminofén o ibuprofeno? (Can I take acetaminophen or ibuprofen?)
• ¿Debo tomar más agua ahora? (Should I drink more water right now?)

A short script you can save on your phone

If you freeze in the moment, having a ready script helps. Swap words to match your case:

• Me duele el costado derecho/izquierdo desde ayer.
• El dolor es agudo y viene en oleadas.
• Tengo náuseas y me arde al orinar.
• He visto sangre en la orina.
• He tenido fiebre de 38°C.