Kidney stone pain is usually described as sudden, severe, and often “the worst pain of my life,” typically starting in the side or back and moving toward the lower belly or groin as the stone travels.

How the pain typically feels

  • Sharp or cramping : Often a stabbing, cutting, or intense cramping pain rather than a dull ache.
  • Very severe : Many people compare it to or worse than childbirth or major trauma, and it can make it hard to sit still or find any comfortable position.
  • Comes in waves : The pain can surge, ease a bit, then surge again as the stone moves or the ureter spasms (“colicky” pain).
  • One-sided at first : It usually starts on one side of the back or flank, just below the ribs, and may spread toward the lower abdomen or groin.
  • Moves location : As the stone travels from kidney to bladder, pain can shift from the flank to the lower belly, groin, testicles in men, or labia in women.

A common description is:

“It started as a deep ache in my side, then turned into a sharp, wave-like agony that wrapped around to my lower stomach and groin. I couldn’t get comfortable, and I felt sick from the intensity.”

Other symptoms that often come with it

Kidney stone pain usually isn’t the only thing going on.

  • Burning or pain when you pee.
  • Feeling like you need to pee constantly, but only passing small amounts.
  • Urine that looks pink, red, or brown (blood in the urine), or is cloudy or bad-smelling.
  • Nausea and vomiting , especially when the pain is very intense.
  • If there is an infection too: fever and chills (this is an emergency sign).

Where it hurts and how it changes

  • Back/flank pain : Starts below your ribs on one side (flank or lower back).
  • Spreading pain : Can wrap around to the front of your belly, then track down into the groin as the stone drops lower.
  • Pattern : Pain may last 20–60 minutes or longer in waves, then decrease as the stone shifts, sometimes returning again.

Simple table: how it feels vs where

What it feels like Typical location
Sharp, severe, wave-like pain (“colicky”) Side of back below ribs (flank)
Stabbing or cramping that comes in waves Lower abdomen or belly
Intense ache, pressure, sometimes burning Groin, testicles (men), labia (women)
Burning or sharp pain when urinating Urethra/bladder area
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When to get urgent help

You should seek emergency care immediately if you have suspected kidney stone pain and:

  1. Pain is so bad you cannot sit, stand, or find any position that eases it.
  1. You have fever or chills , which can signal an infection behind a blockage.
  1. You can’t pass urine or only pass a few drops despite feeling desperate to go.
  1. You see a lot of blood in your urine, or the pain suddenly becomes unbearable.

Quick note

Kidney stone pain can overlap with other serious causes of abdominal or back pain (like appendicitis, aneurysm, or infections), so if you’re feeling anything like the pain described above—especially if it’s sudden, severe, one- sided, and making you nauseous—it’s important to be checked by a medical professional as soon as possible.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.