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If you are unable to have an MRCP for some reason, an endoscopic ultrasound scan might be suggested.
Despite gallbladder issues typically causing abdominal pain, the body’s intricate nerve connections can lead to referred pain in the right shoulder.
Right shoulder pain is a common issue, often stemming from injuries, poor posture, or muscle strain. But when the pain persists and is accompanied by digestive discomfort, it could be a signal of something more serious – gallstones. Despite gallbladder issues typically causing abdominal pain, the body’s intricate nerve connections can lead to referred pain in the right shoulder. Understanding the link between gallstones and shoulder discomfort is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
Let’s know more about this in detail.
What Is a Gallstone?
Gallstones are hardened bile deposits that can develop in your gallbladder. Your liver produces bile, a digestive fluid that is kept in your gallbladder. Bile is released into the duodenum, your small intestine when your gallbladder contracts during eating. Gallstones can be as big as a golf ball or as tiny as a grain of sand. Gallstones can grow in a variety of ways, with some people only developing one.
What Do The Experts Say?
Dr Sandeep Aggarwal, Chairman of the Manipal Institute of Minimal Access, Bariatric, GI & Robotic Surgery, Manipal Hospital Dwarka, said in an interview with HT Lifestyle that shoulder pain can sometimes be a symptom of gallstones, but extreme shoulder pain in the absence of abdominal pain is uncommon. He said that Gallstones are unlikely to be the cause of isolated, significant right shoulder pain.
According to him Gallstones typically cause excruciating pain on the right side and in the middle of the upper abdomen, which is typically located beneath the right rib cage margin. This ache may occasionally be associated with the right shoulder area. This occurs as a consequence of gallbladder inflammation irritating the phrenic nerve.
In addition to shoulder-related causes, additional possible causes of shoulder pain include pleuritis, pneumonia, and fluid accumulation beneath the diaphragram.
