Dear Friends:
I can touch a sore spot on my back but closer to my hip than my spine.
I want to know if it is a sore or strained muscle, joint or nerve.

It is causing me to sleep irregular where I wake up with tightness
and soreness in other muscles in my mid and upper back.

How can I tell if the sore spot is a damaged nerve, strained muscle,
disc cartilage or other problem?

I have been lifting heavy boxes and items moving things around
last week, so I may have twisted or sprained or strained something.

Any advice or charts to tell the difference between back pain
and muscle injuries?

The sore spot is halfway between my spine and my side. It is
lower than my kidney area. It seems to be on a bump or bone,
but is it the muscle that is sore or is the muscle sore because
the joint or nerve is damaged? How can you tell what is causing it?

Thank you for your help
Yours truly,
Emily in Houston