Sharp pains in the shoulders are primarily related to muscle strain, injuries or bad posture, but astonishingly, there are instances where it may be an underlying symptom of a health condition like gallbladder stones, also known as gallstones. It may seem strange at first but gallstone pain is occasionally experienced in the shoulder due to an effect known as referred pain.As defined by Dr. Eric Berg, a celebrated wellness expert and best-selling author, how shoulder-referred pain happens due to stones, let us delve into this intricate relationship.
What are gallbladder stones
Gallstones are hardened collections of digestive juice formed in the gallbladder, a small pear-shaped organ found beneath the liver. Its primary and most important job is to store bile, an enzyme secreted by the liver that aids in the digestion of fats. When bile has excess cholesterol or bilirubin, or when the gallbladder fails to empty on schedule, gallstones are more likely to be formed.They come in different signs and can obstruct the normal flow of the bile, resulting in excruciating pain, infection and inflammation. It is referred to as cholelithiasis when there is a stone and as cholecystitis when it is inflamed.
Why does gallbladder pain sometimes occur in the shoulder
The gallbladder lies in the right upper area of the abdomen below the ribcage. Severe pain due to gallstones is typically experienced in the upper right part of the abdomen or in the middle of the abdomen below the breastbone. The pain at times is experienced in the right shoulder or between the shoulder blades due to referred pain, which occurs due to the fact that nerves supplying the gallbladder travel down along pathways shared by nerves that supply the shoulder region. When the gallbladder is inflamed or irritated and stones clog all the ducts, the brain may misread the cause of the pain, leading to discomfort being felt in the shoulder and not in the abdomen.
What is referred pain
When pain occurs somewhere else other than the particular location, it’s known to as referred pain. Most often, referred pain occurs because the cause of pain also causes nerve irritation.With gallstones, the inflammation within the region irritates the large phrenic nerve. The nerve has a role in respiration but also has an association with your shoulders. When the nerve is irritated due to swelling of the gallbladder, it also causes painful symptoms in the shoulder.Symptoms of Gallbladder stonesIn addition to shoulder pain, gallstones can produce several other symptoms such as:Sudden and severe pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen or the middle of the abdomen, commonly referred to as a gallbladder attack or biliary colic
- Nausea or vomiting
- Indigestion, bloating, or gas
- Pain that can radiate to the back or right shoulder blade
- Fever or chills if infection occurs
Treatment of gallstonesGallstones will not disappear by themselves. While diet modifications may offer short-term, modest relief, elimination of gallbladder pain requires the removal of your gallbladder via a surgical operation known as cholecystectomy. Reducing fatty and greasy foods may control symptoms before surgeryWe may not have known the way shoulder pains are caused by the gallbladder but recognizing unexplained shoulder pain with digestive symptoms needs prompt referring to a healthcare provider.
