I had a kidney stone once, and I likened it to this:
I used to be a hockey goalie. There were plenty of painful aspects to it, but the worst one ever that made me break out in a cold sweat in pain was taking a blistering slapshot to the big-toe side of my goalie skate.
(More painful than being hit in the bards, but far more bearable, because...it ain’t your bards!)
Anyway, that pain of being hit in the toe like that was similar to what I felt in my back when I passed that kidney stone.
Again, it war far more bearable in my toe, because...it was my toe. I knew what it was.
When it was inside me, it was far more disturbing.
nhl have the ballistic boot covers nowadays. not all players wear them.