Unless you've had gallstones, you may never have had to think about gallbladders at all. Those who have experienced gallstones will likely say, "Lucky you!" For the tiny, pear-shaped organ that it is, the gallbladder can cause the human body a lot of grief.
Gallstones form from hardened deposits of digestive fluid (bile) that's kept in the gallbladder. They have a tendency to get stuck in the common bile duct, making the digesting of food into the small intestine virtually impossible. Symptoms will only occur when the gallstones become stuck in the bile duct. These symptoms of gallstones can vary from extreme pain to a dull ache to none at all.
Some patients report feeling a dull ache deep inside their abdomen that has been known to radiate into the right shoulder blade. This feeling can be mistaken for heartburn or indigestion and is relatively ongoing and consistent. This ache has been described as an annoying and gnawing pain and is sometimes reactive to fatty and oily food.