What does the gall bladder do?
The gall bladder is a muscular sac that stores and (when needed) releases bile into the small intestine via the common bile duct (which it shares with the liver). The purpose of releasing the bile is to help the body make the fatty/greasy and oily things in our digestive tract water soluble (emulsification). The intestines and healthy bacteria that live in the intestines do not like non-emulsified fats. Consequently, diarrhea, bloating, gas and acidic or bile reflux can result and are the way the body lets us know our gall bladder is not working well.

Why are right shoulder and neck pains common with gall bladder problems?
Some people have problems localized over the gall bladder (which is in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen just under the rib cage), but most people also get pain/inflammation into the back and/or front of the right shoulder, upper/middle back and shoulder blade. That pain can also migrate up into the neck or over to the left upper/middle back. These patients manifest real shoulder problems like tendonitis, ropy muscles, stiff/sore neck, etc. However, in many cases, the cause of all the inflammation and pain, strangely enough, is from a dysfunctional gall bladder.

Signs & Symptoms
• Chronic right shoulder pain, spasm, or instability (right shoulder, right upper back, or thoracic spine, right upper rib subluxations)
• Pain in the spine (feels like a chiropractic misalignment) between the shoulder blades
• Constrictive pain across the abdomen
• Headache over one or both eyes
• Intolerance to fried or greasy (high fat) foods (bloating, nausea, diarrhea, cramping, etc.)
• Indigestion
• Reflux or heartburn-like symptoms
• Flatulence
• Periodic pain below the right side of the rib cage
• Bitter taste in the mouth
• Chest pain
• Diet full of refined carbohydrates (sugar & white flour)

Causes of gall bladder dysfunction
Although the gall bladder issues become more apparent when the patient consumes or overconsumes fat, the cause of the thickening of the bile and inflammation of the gall bladder is often an overload of refined carbohydrates [e.g. white table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and unbleached as well as enriched white flour (processed from wheat)].

Diagnosis
A diagnostic ultrasound of the gall bladder may be performed, but even a dysfunctional gall bladder may show up normal on the ultrasound.

Dr. Berglund has the abililty to check for gall bladder function both in-house and non-invasively.

For more information on gall bladder dysfunction or gall bladder flushes, visit our archives.

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