Could Acid Reflux Be the Cause of Your Back Pain?

The top symptoms of acid reflux, including back pain.

If you’ve ever burped after a meal and felt stomach acid in the back of your throat (it’s gross, we know), then you have been acquainted with acid reflux. Not to be mistaken for heartburn—which is actually caused by acid reflux—this unpleasant experience isn’t a reason to panic, but can lead to a more chronic condition, known as gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD).

It isn’t uncommon to notice pain in your chest during acid reflux, but can acid reflux radiate aches and pains anywhere else? Back pain in particular has been noted to be a global health problem—but can acid reflux cause back pain?

What Is Acid Reflux?

As Dr. Daniel Zhang, MD, a gastroenterologist at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, explains, acid reflux occurs when stomach acid (and/or other contents from your stomach) remains in the esophagus for a while.

“The most common cause [of acid reflux] involves the muscle at the very end of the esophagus that separates the stomach contents from the esophagus, which is known as the lower esophageal sphincter,” he explains. “Malfunction of this muscle—which allows an excessive amount of acid to either return to the esophagus or prevents acid from being cleared out of the esophagus—typically results in reflux.”

Related: A Guide to Common Stomach Issues

This reflux may cause stomach acid to go up into your throat (hence that burning sensation and foul taste we talked about earlier). Dr. Alexa Malchuk, MD, MPH, a physician at One Medical, adds that other things that can cause or worsen acid reflux include physical pressure on the stomach (such as wearing a tight belt), decreased saliva production or consumption of very acidic foods (which gets in the way of the body’s mechanism that buffers acidic contents).

Can Acid Reflux Cause Back Pain?

Typically, acid reflux does not cause back pain. The occurrence isn’t completely out of the question, however; Dr. Zhang notes that how the nerves in the stomach and esophagus transmit sensations to the brain, referred pain—that may be described as back pain—could occur. If you’re unsure if this is the case, if the pain resolves after taking measures to relieve acid reflux, you may have your answer (and should be mentioned to your doctor during your next check-up).

“If this pain is truly related to reflux, immediate measures such as sitting upright or standing for a period of time, avoiding further intake of common trigger foods (spicy, fatty, alcoholic, caffeinated, chocolaty), as well as taking fast-acting antacids to neutralize the stomach acid can act as a protective barrier—although these effects are short-acting,” explains Dr. Zhang. “More chronic therapy involves medications, such as H2-blockers (for example, Pepcid) or proton pump inhibitors (such as Nexium) to help reduce the production of stomach acid. although it requires a longer time to take effect.”

There have been minimal scientific studies looking specifically at acid reflux and back pain; one study from 2018 focused on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and both were found to occur independently and are not directly related.

What Are Common Symptoms of Acid Reflux?

If acid reflux doesn’t cause back pain, what are common symptoms that do occur? According to a 2020 study, heartburn and regurgitation are the most common; however, they aren't the only thing people may experience.

According to Dr. Zhang, other less common symptoms include:

• upper abdominal pain

• hoarseness

• sore throat

• difficulty swallowing

• a sensation of a lump in the back of the throat

• nausea and vomiting.

These aren’t the only symptoms that may be present, so talking with your doctor if you suspect you have acid reflux—especially if it is occurring chronically and may have become GERD—is advised. Dr. Malchuk adds that you may even have acid reflux and not be aware, so there are symptoms you can look out for.

Related: 10 Surprising Symptoms of Acid Reflux

“Reflux can sometimes be ‘silent’ meaning it doesn’t produce the classic heartburn symptoms,” she adds. “Instead, people with silent reflux may experience new voice hoarseness, cough, bitter taste in the mouth, especially in the morning, or trouble swallowing.”

When Should You Seek Treatment for Acid Reflux?

Even if you infrequently experience acid reflux, you may want to mention it to your doctor during your regular checkups. Dr. Zhang advises that if symptoms are persistent or worsen, being evaluated more immediately is advised to rule out other causes related to the heart, lungs or blood vessels.

Related: Does Water Help Relieve Acid Reflux?

“A few red flag symptoms that would prompt me to recommend a relatively hasty evaluation include trouble swallowing or the sensation of food being stuck, a frequent choking sensation, unexplained loss of appetite or weight, noting blood in the stools or dark stools, or if a patient develops new symptoms of stomach pain and discomfort after the age of 60,” shares Dr. Zhang. “These may be indicative of a more serious underlying condition, in particular an ulcer, mass or cancer.”

Again, the occasional bout of acid reflux is normal. If it turns into more chronic heartburn or GERD, there are treatment options that you can discuss with your doctor.

Next up, check out some diet tweaks that can help reduce your acid reflux.

Sources

• Alexa Malchuk, MD, MPH, a physician at One Medical

• Bordoni B, Marelli F, Morabito B, Sacconi B, Caiazzo P, Castagna R. Low back pain and gastroesophageal reflux in patients with COPD: the disease in the breath. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2018;13:325-334. Published 2018 Jan 17.

• Broderick R, Fuchs KH, Breithaupt W, et al. Clinical Presentation of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Prospective Study on Symptom Diversity and Modification of Questionnaire Application. Dig Dis. 2020;38(3):188-195.

• Daniel Zhang, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

• NIH MedlinePlus Magazine. “Acid reflux, Heartburn, and GERD: What’s the difference?” Accessed 11/20/22.

• Wu A, March L, Zheng X, et al. Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Ann Transl Med. 2020;8(6):299.