Can Gallbladder Problems Cause Back Pain?

Gallbladder pain may sometimes feel like an ache in the mid to lower back.

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ found under the liver that stores bile, a fluid that helps the body break down the fat in foods you eat. 

What Are Gallstones? 

Gallstones (cholelithiasis) are small stones that form inside the gallbladder that can range in size from tiny specks to up to 6 inches long, as large as the entire gallbladder. Most are smaller than 1-inch. 

There are two types of gallstones:

• Cholesterol gallstones
  • Made of cholesterol
  • Usually yellow-green in color
  • 80% of gallstones are this type
• Pigment gallstones
  • Made of bilirubin
  • Smaller and darker than cholesterol stones
  • 20% of gallstones are this type

Symptoms of gallstones may include:

• Pain in the upper abdomen, usually on the right side, just under the ribs
• Pain in the shoulder or back on the right side
• Upset stomach
• Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Chest pain
• Gas

A gallbladder attack happens when a gallstone blocks a bile duct, causing severe, stabbing pain in the belly that can last hours. Symptoms of a gallbladder attack include:

• Severe, stabbing belly pain  
• Abdominal tenderness
• Back or shoulder pain
• Pain after eating 
• Chest pain
• Fever or chills
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tea-colored urine and light-colored stools
• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

Causes of gallbladder pain include:

• Gallstones (also called gallstone disease, or cholelithiasis) occur when cholesterol and other substances found in bile form stones. When stones pass from the gallbladder into the small intestine or get stuck in the biliary duct it can cause pain. This is called biliary colic, or a “gallbladder attack.” 
  • The pain of a gallbladder attack may resemble a heart attack. See your doctor right away if you have chest pain. 
• An inflamed gallbladder (cholescystitis) is usually caused by infection or injury of the gallbladder that results in swelling and sometimes pain. 
• Bile backing up into the gallbladder can cause the gallbladder to swell, and people may feel pain in the ride side of the chest blow the rib cage, pain in the back of the right shoulder blade, and nausea, vomiting, or gas. 
  • Pain may be sharp or dull and can last several hours. 
  • Pain may occur especially after eating a fried, greasy, or fatty meal. 
• Gallbladder polyps
• Gallbladder rupture
• Gallbladder cancer
• Acalculous gallbladder disease or gallbladder dyskinesia