Chiropractic Care for Gallbladder Pain

Seeing a chiropractor might not be the first thing you consider if you’re experiencing gallbladder pain. But if you’re struggling with gallbladder issues or other digestive problems, working with a chiropractor might be one of the best things you can do.

Common Causes of Gallbladder Pain

Gallstones are the most common cause of gallbladder pain. Medical experts believe that gallstones are caused by one or more of the following:

• Too much cholesterol in bile: Bile is designed to dissolve the cholesterol excreted by the liver, but if your liver excretes too much cholesterol, it builds up and forms crystals. These crystals eventually develop into gallstones. 
• Too much bilirubin in the bile: Bilirubin forms when the body breaks down red blood cells. When your liver makes too much bilirubin due to a blood disorder, infection, or cirrhosis, it can contribute to the formation of gallstones.
• Gallbladder fails to empty correctly: When your gallbladder doesn’t empty completely or often enough, the bile becomes concentrated, and gallstones form.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Relieve Gallbladder Pain

Chiropractic care can identify and treat the cause of gallbladder pain, resolving the root cause instead of just masking the symptoms.

In many cases, gallbladder pain is linked to nutrition. Working with a medical professional like a chiropractor who understands the role of nutrition is one of the best ways to resolve the problem. Chiropractors also focus on rebalancing the body’s natural state and improving overall health. 

Chiropractors don’t specifically treat gallbladder pain, gallstones, or inflammation. Instead, they treat the entire body, alleviating the problems contributing to gallbladder issues. 

In addition to the in-office treatments that promote alignment in the body, your chiropractor can help you develop a diet and nutritional supplement program that promotes optimal health. These things will work together to relieve gallbladder pain and achieve optimal health.

Treatments & Techniques

The central nervous system, which includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the peripheral nerves throughout the body, controls your body’s organs. This includes the gallbladder. A misalignment in the central nervous system, especially in the parasympathetic system that controls rest and digestion, wreaks havoc on your body. 

Chiropractic treatment corrects this misalignment and restores function to your body. This includes the gallbladder and all of the other organs involved in digestion. 

Nerves in your mid- and low-back are connected to your digestive tract, as well as your intestines and rectum. These nerves significantly affect your body’s ability to digest, use, and eliminate food and nutrition. Chiropractic treatments improve and increase the parasympathetic system and decrease the sympathetic (fight or flight) system. Treatment allows your body to relax and perform its natural functions optimally. 

Treatments a chiropractor will use to alleviate gallbladder issues and improve digestion include:

• Adjustment: manipulation of the spine for optimum alignment and overall health
• Acupuncture: Insertion of small needles into specific areas of the skin to trigger the release of endorphins to reduce pain and promote healing
• Electrical stimulation: Application of electric pads to strengthen soft tissue, promote healing, block pain receptors, and release endorphins
• Massage: Use stretching, traditional massage, and physiotherapy to promote spine and nervous system health. 
• Nutrition support: Guidance on how to eat to support optimal gallbladder health

Benefits of Chiropractic Treatments for Gallbladder Pain

Your spine and nerves transmit signals throughout your body. It’s the system through which the brain communicates with the rest of the body. Your body can't perform optimally when something interferes with this communication system. 

Using chiropractic treatment to alleviate gallbladder pain is beneficial because it eliminates miscommunication in your central nervous system. It gets to the root of the problem instead of just masking or medicating symptoms. 

Chiropractic care is all-natural. It helps you avoid the need for medication and surgery. For many people, gallbladder issues eventually lead to the surgical removal of their gallbladder. Your gallbladder plays a vital role in how your body digests foods and functions in general. You don’t want to force your body to do these things without your gallbladder. Avoiding the removal of your gallbladder ensures that you don’t need to turn to external tools to help your body function as it should.

In addition to relieving gallbladder and other digestive issues, chiropractic care provides various other benefits. It’s a holistic treatment, so your entire body and overall health are improved when you work with a chiropractor. Other benefits of chiropractic treatment include:

• Reduced back and neck pain
• Reduced risk of osteoarthritis
• Fewer headaches
• Improved posture
• Better mobility
• Improved sleep

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Gallbladder

You can do several things to support gallbladder health in addition to working with a chiropractor. For example:

• Lose weight, if needed, gradually, and maintain a healthy weight
• Drink six to eight glasses of water every day
• Get 1000 to 12000 mg of calcium every day
• Take 300 mg of curcumin to increase the solubility of bile
• Take 200 mg of supplemental vitamin C every day as it reduces the risk of gallstones
• Reduce fat intake to 25 percent of your daily calorie intake
• Limit sugar intake
• Increase fiber intake

Eating a healthy diet is the best thing you can do to promote gallbladder health. This includes sufficient servings of:

• Lean meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• High-fiber foods
• Low-fat dairy

In addition to what you should include in your diet, you should avoid a few things. These include:

• Saturated fat
• Sugar
• Sodium
• Refined carbohydrates
• Fried food

Dr. Darren Faherty D.C.

In 2004, Dr. Darren Faherty graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from UWEC - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Dr. Darren continued education at the highly esteemed University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) where he obtained his chiropractic degree in 2007. He has been helping people recover from injuries and return to their normal lifestyles ever since.