Pain generated in one part of the body but felt it another part of the body is called referred pain. For example, pleurisy affecting the diaphragm may cause pain to be felt in the shoulder and the pain of acute appendicitis is felt first as referred pain in the center of the abdomen around the umbilicus (belly button) and later in the right lower quarter of the abdomen.

 Referred pain seems to occur because nerves from various parts of the body converge on their way to the spinal cord. The sensory nerves from the heart, for example, flow into the same part of the spine that gathers nerve impulses from the shoulder. When a pain signal comes in, say, from the heart or shoulder, it stimulates nerves farther down the arm or in the neck. That explains why the left arm or jaw hurts during a heart attack.

Common Sites of Referred Pain:

Pain Site – Possible Ailment

Shoulder pain – from liver, gall bladder, stomach, spleen, lungs, or pericardial sac ( the connective tissue bag containing the heart).

Pain between the shoulder blades – disease in the stomach

Pain in right shoulder – gallbladder disease

Epigastrium pain (the soft spot on the abdomen, just under the breastplate, between the ribs) – from heart

Abdominal pain (on the sides just under the spot where your ribs end) – from pneumonia, liver (right side), or pleurisy

Testicle pain – from ureteric colic

Knee pain – from hip

Neck, jaw, shoulders, arm and back pain – from angina pectoris or heart attack

Brain freeze or ice cream headache – from vagus nerve being cooled

Head Pain – eye disorders such as glaucoma, infections, or tumors of the nasal sinuses, dental infections, and arthritis of the neck.

Back Pain – pancreas

Ear pain – infection in teeth or gums

Right side of neck, chest, shoulder blade pain– liver, gallbladder

Upper back, chest, right shoulder pain– abdomen

Back (below ribs), groin pain – Kidney

Neck, jaw, arms, shoulders, upper back pain – heart

Chest, jaws, neck, back pain– Lungs

Ears (earache), head (headache) – teeth, gums, eyes

Teeth pain – sinus infection