That pain is so intense. You feel it in the lumbar region, at the same height where the kidneys are located. Nephrotic Colic appear and disappear repeatedly and suddenly while driving or resting.

It is one of the strongest pains that a truck driver can feel, and its origin is related to the obstruction of the urinary tract. It is called colic because of the way in which pain occurs, like a spasm, in the lumbar area, to the groin area.

The pain appears, has high and intense peaks of pain and then disappears giving space for short periods without pain. Nephritic colic is a consequence of an obstruction in the trucker’s urinary system, more specifically in the path that the urine must move to the bladder. The urinary tract is trying to unclog your system by contracting its ducts, which gives rise to colic.

Symptoms:

- Severe pain in the lower back

- May cause fever

- Difficulty to urinate

- Increased urination frequency

- Presence of blood in the urine

What are the causes?

- Kidney stones are the main cause and may appear due to:

• Frequent urine infections

• Excessive consumption of exte
al calcium

• Sedentary

• Hypoparathyroidism

• Excessive prostration

• Gout

• Protein rich diets

• Cystinuria

- Carcinogenic tumors in the kidneys, bladder, ureters, or other organ that ends up pressing the urinary tract.

- Aortic aneurysm (a dilation of that artery in the abdomen region)

- Frequent urine infections

Diagnosis:

If the truck driver explains all these symptoms to their doctor, then it’s highly possible that they’ll diagnose the pain as nephritic colic. But to be sure, the truck driver has to perform a few tests:

- A urinalysis

- Radiographs

- Ultrasound of the renal and bladder area

The initial treatment will be to calm the pain through analgesics and anti-inflammatories, but once the pain is calmed, the most usual approach is that the doctor will schedule a surgery, since it’s a disease that requires immediate attention. It is recommended to visit your GP every six months for a check-up and for medical examinations. Preventive medicine is very important for all truckers.