What, if any, digestive problem has back pain with it?

Debby

Generally, if digestive diseases cause pain, it is located in the abdomen. Exactly where in the abdomen the pain occurs depends on the nerves connected to the affected organ. Thus, upper abdominal pain is typical for ulcer disease and gallstone colic, while appendicitis and diverticulitis typically cause pain in the middle or lower abdomen.

Back pain is not a common finding with digestive disease, but when present, it often indicates disease in the pancreas. The reason for this is that the pancreas lies in the abdomen behind the stomach and bowel, just in front of the backbone. Nerve fibers emanating from the pancreas also localize to the back. Thus, pancreatic disease classically causes upper abdominal pain that feels as though it bores straight through to the back.

The diagnosis in such cases can include acute pancreatitis (an inflammatory condition of the pancreas) or an ulcer in the upper intestine, or duodenum, that penetrates into the pancreas. If the upper abdomen/back pain is persistent, the diagnosis may include chronic pancreatitis (because of long-term damage to the gland) or even pancreatic cancer. Patients who experience such pain should receive a full evaluation by their doctor to pinpoint the cause.