By Dr. David L. Pollack

Most of us have heard stories of someone experiencing a heart attack who felt pain not in their chest, but in the left shoulder or neck. Similarly, many women report low back or hip pain around their menstrual cycle. This phenomenon is known as the viscero-somatic reflex—or the viscero-somatic effect.

“Viscera” refers to our internal organs and glands, while “soma” refers to the muscles and connective tissues. Every organ in the body can express dysfunction this way—through referred pain. Just as the heart often refers issues to the left shoulder, the gallbladder frequently refers pain to the right shoulder. In fact, some of the most stubborn shoulder conditions—even frozen shoulder—can trace back to gallbladder dysfunction. The liver also refers to the right shoulder and the lower right rib cage, both front and back. The kidneys often create pain in the lower back, just under the ribcage. Thyroid imbalances, meanwhile, can manifest as chronic neck and upper shoulder tension.

This isn’t “phantom” pain—it’s a real contraction or neuromuscular dysfunction. Over time, these patterns can wear down joints and muscles just like a physical injury would. If a musculoskeletal issue doesn’t respond to chiropractic, physical therapy or orthopedics—or if the relief is only temporary—an underlying organ imbalance could be the missing link.

I first noticed this pattern during clinical rotations in chiropractic school. About half of my patients responded quickly to classical chiropractic adjustments. But the other half? Their pain would return within hours or days. I began investigating deeper and found many of these patients—especially women with neck and shoulder pain—had underlying thyroid or gallbladder dysfunction. When I supported their bodies with nutritional and functional medicine tools, their symptoms improved significantly.

This was a turning point for me. I pursued further training in Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, herbology and advanced functional nutrition. For nearly 20 years, I’ve been helping people uncover the hidden root causes of pain—and restore their health from the inside out.

If you’ve been struggling with chronic physical pain that just won’t resolve, consider the possibility of the viscero-somatic effect. It might be time to look deeper—and find a skilled functional medicine or nutrition practitioner to guide you back to health freedom.

Dr. David L. Pollack is the founder of Pollack Wellness, located at 66 Commack Rd., #204, Commack, NY. For appointments or information, call 631-462-0801 or visit PollackWellness.com.