You may not think that eating could cause shoulder pain, but if you have gallstones, pain in your right shoulder or pain between your shoulder blades is common. Any time you develop pain from eating, you need to talk with your primarily health care provider. Pain from eating is a sign of a gastrointestinal complication that may or may not be concerning. Do not attempt to self-diagnose or treat your symptoms without medical advice. Gallbladder disease is diagnosed with an ultrasound of your gallbladder.
Shoulder Pain Cause
The pain you are feeling in your shoulder is referred pain. Referred pain is pain that occurs in one area of your body and is felt in another. The pain in your back is being referred from the center of your chest, under your chest bone, where your gallbladder sits. Your gallbladder is a pouch that stores extra bile for your digestive system. Some people develop cholesterol deposits in the gallbladder that form into pebble-like clusters that could cause your gallbladder to become inflamed and infected. If one of these stones becomes lodged in the gallbladder duct, you develop severe pain in your chest, back and shoulder.
Symptoms
You may have gallstones for years without any symptoms. Once a gallstone becomes lodged, symptoms can develop rapidly, without warning. Some people with gallbladder disease can manage symptoms by eating a low-fat diet and avoiding trigger foods, such as spices and highly processed foods. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pain after eating, pain in the upper-right side of the abdomen and loss of appetite, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Complications
MayoClinc.com warns that if you develop yellowing of your skin, a high fever with chills or intense pain to the point that you can't sit comfortably, you need to go the emergency room. If these signs are ignored, the infection can eventually lead to death. If you have a family history of gallbladder disease, including gallstones, you are at an increased risk of developing gallbladder cancer. Remain under a doctor's supervision to prevent complications from occurring.
Treatment
Not all gallbladder disease requires surgery. If your gallbladder is inflamed, infected or causes daily pain, your gastroenterologist may recommend the removal of your gallbladder. Prescribed medications are given over a two year period that may help dissolve the gallstones. Shock wave therapy also may be used to treat gallstones if you're unable to undergo surgery.
