Does abdominal pain have to be present before it can radiate to the back in chronic pancreatitis. I have no abdominal pain.
I had terrible back pain long before I felt any other pain. After back pain came the awful rib cage pain. I almost never have true "belly" pain.
You may feel the back pain on either the left or the right side of your spine. I think it has to do with what part of the pancreas is damaged -- the tail or the head.
Ihave pain l, r, up, and down. It moves everywhere. blood tests normal, abd ultrasound normal, and ct scan w/contrast normal
Rarely back pain could be caused by the Pancreas: https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC2485025&blobtype=pdf
More than likely it is from some other causes. You could ask for MRCP to look at the Pancreas in more detail if you have other symptoms that indicate Pancreatitis or Pancreatic Cancer.
I have often described the back pain as like a snake. Just when you think you know where it is, it moves.
I have to disagree that back pain is "rarely" caused by the pancreas. A lot of people reference back pain as their worst symptom. Back pain can be caused by a lot of things, though, and it makes sense to work with a spinal doctor to narrow things down.
I agree with John that an MRCP (or an EUS) to get more information. Don't worry about cancer at this point, as it probably isn't. It would definitely help to get a pancreatic expert on board to help you sort things out.