Can gallstones cause back pain?

Gallstones usually do not cause back pain. If gallstones attack with back pain, it is mostly considered to be caused by other diseases or the presence of back diseases or urinary system diseases. Gallstones are usually found in the right upper abdomen and may be accompanied by symptoms such as aversion to oil, nausea, abdominal distension, and weakness, as well as pain in the projection of the gallbladder, such as vague pain, swelling, and colic. In some rare cases, when gallstones cause severe symptoms, such as acute pancreatitis, and the inflammation is more severe, there will be congestion, necrosis, and edema around the pancreas, which may produce symptoms similar to lumbar girdle-like pain, but it usually does not occur when the gallstones are relatively mild. If a patient with gallstones is combined with pancreatic cancer, it may cause low back pain due to invasion of the retroperitoneal plexus. Low back pain may also occur if gallstones are present along with lumbar disc herniation and lumbar muscle strain. Urinary system diseases, such as kidney stones, pyelonephritis, and urinary tract stones, may also present with symptoms of low back pain. Therefore, after gallstone patients develop low back pain, it is necessary to further understand whether the pain occurs on both sides at the same time, make a comprehensive assessment by combining the pain location and severity, and then combine with corresponding imaging and blood tests, etc., to clarify the cause and then treat.